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5.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Candy House remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have ten minutes to kill and a soft spot for weird, jerky animation from the thirties, sure. It’s fun in a 'what on earth am I watching' kind of way. If you’re looking for a relaxing bedtime story, keep looking. This thing is frantic.
The whole thing feels like someone took a classic fairy tale and put it through a blender with a bit too much caffeine. The grandmother character? Absolutely terrifying. She’s got this sneer that stays stuck on her face even when she isn’t doing anything.
The sunflower seed trail detail: It’s a nice touch, but the birds show up and eat them so fast you’d think they were starving. Blink and you miss the entire plot point.
I found myself wondering if this was meant to be funny or just mildly traumatic for kids back then. The pacing is all over the place. One second we’re in the woods, the next we’re staring at a house that looks like it’s made of hardened sugar and bad intentions. 🍬
The witch is basically a caricature of every bad idea ever. When she traps the kids, the animation style shifts in a way that feels a little desperate to keep the energy up. It reminded me a bit of the frantic pacing in So This Is Harris, though obviously in a completely different genre.
The ending is where it gets really weird. I won't spoil it, but let’s just say the oven gets a lot of screen time. It’s not exactly subtle, but honestly, who wants subtle in a cartoon about a candy house?
It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn't try to be. It’s a relic. It’s got that specific, slightly dusty charm you find in really old animation. It’s way better than sitting through something like The Lion Killers when you just want a quick laugh.
I liked it. I didn't love it. I definitely didn't learn any life lessons from it. Sometimes that's enough.