Condemn. I forget how dark children’s stories can be, and Olivia Loccisano’s lively tale, Pocket Princessis about as dark as it gets. Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Anna who was obsessed with completing the set of dolls she had collected from the boxes of medieval O’s. Her collection is almost as complete without the princess doll. Today, at her dying mother’s bedside, her last gift is a doll from the collection, but unfortunately, Anna already has it.

Now living as an orphan of the evil priests, Anna becomes the worker/slave of the twisted priests. One night, in a dream, Anna transforms into one of the dolls. The dolls suddenly speak and tell Anna that she must embark on a terrible journey to find the princess. Hoping to escape the priest, she accepts the perilous journey.

“Her collection is almost as complete without the princess doll.”

First of all, I love the animation of Pocket Princess. Its stop motion is reminiscent of the old Eraser series, as most of the puppets and props are made of clay and the movements are achieved through the manipulation of the day. I’m particularly fascinated by the use of clay when Anna makes bread and cleans her room. Never let stop-motion animation die.

The story itself is deliciously dark. The first line of the short says it all. Is this story for children? It goes into some dark territories, but yes, it’s for kids, especially those who might have a sinister side (my prayers to you and your family). Darkness and evil gradually become evil, and I fall in love with this story every moment.

Filmmaker Olivia Loccisano takes us on a dark and twisted journey as a Grimm fairy tale comes to life. Want a scary yet gripping story that doesn’t hold back? Pocket Princess is an animated gem you won’t forget.