It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
Stick figures can absolutely be cinema.
Presentation:
Whoever told us when we were kids that stick figures would never amount to much, was wrong. Dan Hertzfeldt takes his experience from The Simpsons and creates a 1 hour experimental stop motion animation in his signature stick figure style. What makes the film more than just aesthetic masturbation is there is an existential story behind it and plentiful laughs. Hertzfeldt narrates the entire film, basically saying all the quiet parts of life out loud. And I mean all of the mundane thoughts and experiences we thought were secret to only ourselves. The existential story is perhaps not up to par and begins to lean on the heavier side, but the film isn’t that long for you to complain. The animations are quirky and the real image layering also adds intrigue to the 2D images.
Conclusion:
Although it tries to be, I don’t know if this animation will actually be life changing. I have to applaud Hertzfeldt for creating such an imaginative journey with just stick figures. This is definitely his magnum opus and the film I recommend for those wanting to experience something spicier than traditional animation.
Recommendations
Stick figures can absolutely be cinema.