Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dean Fleischer Camp directs. Bianca Cline behind the camera. Richard Vreeland scores. Dean Fleischer Camp cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Spanish, English, Portuguese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
• 2Released 4 years ago.
• 3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese.
• 4Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, shot by Bianca Cline. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 5Original score by Richard Vreeland. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 6Editor Dean Fleischer Camp shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 7Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer Camp and Isabella Rossellini carry the top of the cast.
• 8IMDB entry: tt15339456 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Classified under 14 themes, including "journalist", "mockumentary", "stop motion", "family".
• 10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography

Bianca Cline

Original score

Richard Vreeland

Editing

Dean Fleischer Camp

Production design

Liz Toonkel

Costume design

Jamie Catino

VFX supervisor

Martin Naydenski

Sound

Ruy García

Runtime

90 min · 1h 30m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$6,000,000

Box office

$6,909,209

Return

115% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

PG

IMDB

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

98% 🍅 Fresh

Metacritic

80/100

IMDB rating

7.6/10 · 33,460 votes

MPAA

PG

Also by

Dean Fleischer Camp

• 
  Lilo & Stitch

  2025 · ★ 7.2
• 
  Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Three

  2014 · ★ 6.9
• 
  Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Two

  2011 · ★ 6.9
• 
  Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

  2010 · ★ 6.7
• 
  David: Story of David

  2016 · ★ 6.0
• 
  Catherine

  2014 · ★ 5.5

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  SCENE AT THE ACADEMY: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Remember

  Teaser · Official
• 

  ▶
  Raspberry

  Teaser · Official
• 

  ▶
  Biggest

  Teaser · Official
• 

  ▶
  Let The Battle Begin Official Clip

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  Official Clip/Preview

  Clip · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Chris Sawin2022-06-30
  ★ 8/10

  Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is the type of film that reminds you what it’s like to be a decent human being through the perspective of a little talking shell that walks on the walls of a normal sized house by stepping in a puddle of honey. The film is laugh out loud funny, sad in a gut punching kind of way, and overwhelmingly big-hearted. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a heartwarming delight. Full review: https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Marcel-the-Shell-with-Shoes-On-2022-Review-A-Heartwarming-Stop-Motion-Animated-Delight

  Read full review ↓
• badelf2022-09-14
  ★ 9/10

  Huge heart in this film. It's funny, philosophical, life affirming and just a pure pleasure to watch. The fact that it's stop motion animation makes it a complete wonder. How?

  Read full review ↓
• Manuel São Bento2022-12-27
  ★ 8/10

  MORE SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2022-edition/ "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On transported me back to the precious times I shared with my late grandfather. An extraordinarily creative, moving story surrounded by incredibly genuine humor and filled with meaningful, memorable messages about family, friendship, life, and love. Complex themes dissected through the fascinatingly simplistic eye of a small shell. Efficiently short runtime to take the viewers through a contemplative yet quite spirited experience. One of my favorite films of the year, do NOT miss it!" Rating: A-

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Cinereach

  US

• 

  Chiodo Bros. Productions

  US

• YO

  You Want I Should

  US

• HU

  Human Woman

  US

• SU

  Sunbeam TV & Films

  US

Key crew

• Animation DirectorKirsten Lepore
• Animation DirectorPete Levin
• ProducerElisabeth Holm
• ProducerAndrew Goldman
• ProducerCaroline Kaplan
• ProducerPaul S. Mezey
• ProducerDean Fleischer Camp
• ProducerJenny Slate
• Executive ProducerNion McEvoy
• Executive ProducerPhilipp Engelhorn
• Executive ProducerWilliam Byerley
• Executive ProducerGeorge Rush
• Executive ProducerMichael Raisler
• EditorDean Fleischer Camp
• EditorNick Paley
• Casting DirectorJessica Kelly
• Production DesignLiz Toonkel
• Sound Effects EditorIsaac Derfel
• Sound Re-Recording MixerRuy García
• Supervising Sound EditorRuy García
• Sound Effects EditorMariusz Glabinski
• Visual Effects ProducerIskra Nacheva
• Visual Effects SupervisorMartin Naydenski
• Visual Effects ProducerGordon T. Wittmann

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• journalist
• mockumentary
• stop motion
• family
• fake documentary
• viral video
• shell
• children's story
• kids
• airbnb
• stop frame
• grandmother grandson relationship
• based on short film
• 3d animation

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2022-03-12· South by Southwest Film Festival
• Premiere2022-05-04· Independent Film Festival Boston
• Premiere2021-09-03· Telluride Film Festival
• Theatrical (limited)2022-06-24PG
• Theatrical (limited)2023-02-25PG
• Theatrical2022-07-29PG
• Digital2022-09-06PG

Also known as

International titles

• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: The MovieUS
• Marcel le coquillage chausséFR
• 마르셀 더 셸 위드 슈즈 온KR
• Marcel le coquillage avec ses chaussuresFR
• マルセル 靴をはいた小さな貝JP
• Marcel Muszelka w różowych bucikachPL
• Марсель, ракушка в ботинкахRU
• Marcel, ulita s botamiCZ
• 穿着鞋子的贝壳马塞尔CN
• Školjkica Marcel u cipelamaHR
• Kingadega merikarp MarcelEE