I Am Frankelda

Name: I Am Frankelda
Director: Roy Ambriz
Genre: Animation
Released: 2025-10-23
Duration: 1h 44m
Rating: 8.4
Cast: Mireya Mendoza, Arturo Mercado Jr., Luis Leonardo Suarez, Gaby Cárdenas, Beto Castillo

Oct 23, 2025 Animation · At nearly two hours, it's a patient dive into surreal territory that rewards careful attention.

Hidden gem

7.3/10

IMDb

★

3.56/5

Letterboxd

🎬

8.4/10

TMDB

Rewatch

diminishing returns

Attention

full focus

Phone-check

low

The brief

Roy Ambriz crafts a gorgeously dark animated fever dream that feels like Tim Burton's Mexican cousin discovered magical realism. The film moves between reality and nightmare with fluid, unsettling grace as our young writer protagonist gets trapped inside her own gothic imagination. Mireya Mendoza's voice work anchors the surreal journey with genuine vulnerability, while the animation style shifts between delicate period detail and full-blown horror phantasmagoria. Perfect for fans of Coco's cultural richness but who wish it had more teeth, or anyone who's ever wondered what their own stories might do to them in the dark.

gothic magical realism surreal nightmare logic mexican cultural richness darkly whimsical literary horror coming-of-age introspection

The verdict

If you crave dark animated storytelling that blends cultural richness with genuine horror elements and aren't afraid of surreal nightmare logic, this is a stunning fever dream that deserves your attention. If you prefer straightforward narratives or find unsettling imagery off-putting, stick with more conventional animated fare that won't leave you questioning reality.