Verdict: 5/5

This year marks the 15th anniversary of “Coraline,” a hit children’s horror movie that has charmed many viewers over the years. The movie is full of emotion, twists and turns, making it very open for interpretation. This has led many to create theories on the plot, ending, and small details, helping to boost the movie’s popularity. 

“Coraline” originated from a novel written by Neil Gaiman, author of other popular novels such as “Stardust,” “American Gods” and “The Graveyard Book.” The director, Henry Selick, collaborated with the author to create the dark but captivating movie. The film tells a story of a young girl exploring the mysterious house her family has just moved into. She enters a door that opens up a new world that is brighter and all to her liking, but has dangers lurking within.

The dynamic plot — developing throughout the movie — held my attention as I watched. The actors really sold me on the performance as they did a great job portraying the emotions of the characters. An example of this is the genuine expression of distress and surprise in Dakota Fanning’s voice, playing Coraline, as she exclaims, “You’re not sewing buttons into my eyes!”

I also love the soundtrack as it accurately represents the feel of the movie, sounding like a nursery rhyme but a bit more eerie. One detail I like about the music is that it isn’t actually in a set language. It’s sung in gibberish that sounds sort of French, which adds to the quirky feel of the movie. 

Although the film is rated PG, my main critique of  “Coraline” is that there are serious horror elements present that could frighten young children. On the flip side, while Coraline might be considered a children’s horror movie, I think that even adult viewers could get enjoyment from watching it. 

I personally loved the movie and would definitely recommend it for others to watch, giving it a final rating of 5 stars out of 5. If you’d like a good movie to get into the spooky spirit of Halloween, I definitely recommend watching “Coraline.”