Scarygirl (film)

Scarygirl is a 2023 Australian 3D animated fantasy adventure film directed by Ricard Cussó. It stars, as voice actors, Anna Torv, Tim Minchin, Deborah Mailman and Sam Neill in the main roles.

The film is the adaptation of the 2012 game of the same name.

Premise
Arkie lives with her father Blister, a giant octopus, on the Peninsula. They help plants recover from the loss of electricity that affects them. Meanwhile in the City of Light, Dr. Maybee is precisely using this electricity for his experiments: he also needs octopi to help him recreate his lost daughter. Chihoohoo and his team, as well as Bunniguru and his Egg, go to Peninsula in search of a giant octopus for which they were promised a reward.

Chihoohoo's team capture Blister for Dr. Maybe as Bunniguru and Egg encounter Arkie. Finding Blister gone, Arkie, Bunniguru and Egg go to the City of Light, where Arkie learns that 12 years ago, Dr Maybee's human daughter - Arkie Maybee - was killed at sea and Dr Maybee blames Blister, whom he experimented on to create present day Arkie.

Chihoohoo's boss, The Keeper, reveals to Arkie her harbouring of several small octopi, whom Dr. Maybee experimented on prior, telling how Dr. Maybee is now delusional and seeking eugenically perfect appearance at the dying sun's cost.

Arkie confronts Dr. Maybee as The Keeper turns him over to the octopi. Using the sun crystal and Dr. Maybe's energy beams, Arkie restores the sun whilst Dr. Maybe is rendered partially octopian as penance for his ruthlessness.

Reception
The Guardian gave the film 2 stars out of 5 as did The Sydney Morning Herald, stating, that "the finished product seems to have come out back to front, too convoluted for under-5s and too tame for anyone else. The celebrity voice actors convey goodwill rather than conviction, as if reading aloud on Play School: Sam Neill as ruthless scientist Dr Maybee is appropriately sonorous, but not really much of a threat." A review at The Conversation praised visual aspects of the film and its message: "Filled with fantastical world-building, character and creature design, the Scarygirl universe mimics our concern for the natural world and the need for human-nature connection." The film received various awards.