Mexican brothers Arturo and Roy Ambriz have brought their stop‑motion dark fantasy "Frankelda" to a global audience via Netflix. The film , which premiered at the 2025 Guadalajara International Film Festival , earned a flawless 100% Tomatometer rating and captured two major awards at the Fantasia International Film Festival earlier this year.

Fantasia Festival Wins Highlight "Frankelda"'s Momentum

At the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival, "Frankelda" secured the Silver Audience Award for Best Animated Feature and a Special Jury Mention for Best Animated Feature, according to the festival’s official results. These honors underscore the film’s resonance with both critics and festivalgoers, marking a rare double‑win for a debut stop‑motion project from Mexico.

Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score Based on 11 Critics

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes lists a 100% Tomatometer rating for "Frankelda," compiled from 11 professional reviews, as reported by the site. Critics praised the film’s inventive storytelling, meticulous puppetry, and haunting musical numbers, positioning it as a standout in the 2025 animation slate.

First Independently Produced Mexican Stop‑Motion Feature

"Frankelda" is the inaugural independently made stop‑motion movie produced in Mexico,a milestone highlighted by the Ambriz brothers’ Cinema Fantasma banner. the production combined traditional animation techniques with a contemporary dark‑fantasy narrative, a blend that has rarely been attempted in Mexican cinema.

Plot Roots in "Frankelda's Book of Spooks" Series

The film adapts the brothers’ own "Frankelda’s Book of Spooks" series, following a 19th‑century writer who must battle the monsters she created to preserve the boundary between fiction and reality. voice talent includes Mireya Mendoza as the titular Frankelda and Arturo Mercado Jr. as the tormented prince Herneval, adding depth to the story’s gothic atmosphere.

Who’s Still Missing From the Conversation?

While the festival circuit and critical reception are well documented, the distribution deal’s financial terms remain undisclosed, and Netflix has not revealed viewership metrics for the title. Additionally, the film’s impact on future Mexican stop‑motion projects is speculative, as no follow‑up productions have been announced.