ParaNorman

A misunderstood 11-year-old boy sees dead people in this delightfully quirky animated horror comedy that excels in both of its genres. Norman Babcock (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a loner whose supernatural gifts make it hard for him to fit in. But he has to come to terms with his abilities after he discovers that his legacy is to break a witch's curse that has been hanging over his small New England town for 300 years. Co-directors Sam Fell and Chris Butler use superb stop-motion craftsmanship, solid storytelling, fantastic character development and clever humour to capture the look and atmosphere of classic horror films. Despite the subject matter, things always remain family friendly: kids will love the scary, spooky antics while adults can appreciate the references to the likes of Halloween and Friday the 13th. The thrilling finale is a terrific blend of heartfelt emotion, surreal visuals and inventive ghostly spectacle, and the film's timeless message - a fundamental plea for humanity in the face of monstrous fears - is put across in wonderfully ghoulish and surprising ways.