The first time I watched Coraline, directed by Henry Selick, was when I was a child. It terrified me, but even then it left a lasting impression on me that very few other films have ever done. Watching it again, my opinion of the movie has changed a substantial amount. It no longer scares me, per say, but it still keeps me on the edge of my seat. 

The film begins with a curious song, pulling the viewer in immediately. You watch as a pair of metal hands lovingly stitch together a doll, and about as soon as you begin to ask yourself who the doll is for, you are introduced to Coraline, a young girl who has a sense of adventure that only a child has, who just moved into the Pink Palace Apartments, a large Pink house with Eccentric neighbors.

You learn quickly that Coraline isn't fully satisfied with her life, especially after moving away from her friends. Her parents are too busy to give her much attention, worrying about their jobs. She's told to explore the house with the doll, which her mother found on the porch, in order to keep her occupied so her parents can work in peace. While exploring, she finds that the house is quite boring, until she discovers a sealed door. 

It's the first thing to truly catch her interest, and she bugs her mom until she attempts to open it, which she does with a button key. The door doesn't seem to be much at first, but at night it becomes a portal to a new, seemingly better world. One where all her problems are solved, entirely run by her other mother. But… is the other world what it seems to be? That is what Coraline has to find out. 

The movie changed my perspective of movies. It has made me look at films a little closer, try to find out what is going on behind the scenes. It made me appreciate darker themes in movies. To theorize about films for fun. To enjoy it in a way that isn't just passively watching it. It is by no means a perfect movie, but it is one of my favorites, and is a must watch for everyone.