Cryptozoo
A woman riding a winged horse
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDash Shaw
Written byDash Shaw
Produced by
  • Kyle Martin
  • Jane Samborski
  • Bill Way
  • Tyler Davidson
Starring
Edited by
  • Lance Edmands
  • Alex Abrahams
Music byJohn Carroll Kirby
Production
companies
Distributed byMagnolia Pictures
Release dates
  • January 29, 2021 (2021-01-29) (Sundance)
  • August 20, 2021 (2021-08-20) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$37,883[2][3]

Cryptozoo is a 2021 American adult animated drama film written and directed by Dash Shaw. It features an ensemble cast as Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Angeliki Papoulia, Zoe Kazan, Peter Stormare, Grace Zabriskie, Louisa Krause and Thomas Jay Ryan. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021 and was released by Magnolia Pictures in the United States on August 20, 2021.

Plot

Cryptozookeepers try to capture a Baku, a dream-eating hybrid creature of legend, and start wondering if they should display these beasts or keep them hidden and unknown. Meanwhile, a pair of lovers mistakenly find their way into the Cryptozoo, leading to unpredictable consequences in 1960s San Francisco.[4]

Cast

Release and reception

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021 [5] and won the Innovator Award.[6] Shortly after, Magnolia Pictures acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film and set it for an August 20, 2021 release in the United States.[7] The film also screened at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival in March 2021.[8]

Cryptozoo holds a 72% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 89 reviews, with an average rating of 5.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Although its visual overstimulation threatens to derail its themes, Cryptozoo is an ambitious and unique critique of capitalistic values."[9] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 74 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Jessica Kiang of Variety wrote: "In this zoo, the story may be tame, but the images, and the imagination that releases them, run wild."[11]

It was also nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Cryptozoo". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "Cryptozoo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  3. ^ "Cryptozoo". The Numbers. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  4. ^ 10 exciting arthouse movies coming in 2021 - i-D
  5. ^ Debruge, Peter (December 15, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  6. ^ Cryptozoo Trailer: Dash Shaw's Animated Sundance Winner for Adults|IndieWire
  7. ^ Donnelly, Matt; Lang, Brent (February 2, 2021). "Sundance Animated Fantasy 'Cryptozoo' Sells to Magnolia (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "Cryptozoo".
  9. ^ "Cryptozoo (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  10. ^ "Cryptozoo". Metacritic. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  11. ^ Kiang, Jessica (29 January 2021). "'Cryptozoo' Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Hide Them". Variety.
  12. ^ MUBI

External links

Films directed by Dash Shaw
Categories