MUBI, the global distributor and curated film streaming service, has announced that Dash Shaw’s vibrant and distinctive animated feature Cryptozoo will be released exclusively on MUBI in the UK and Ireland on 22 October 2021.
A highlight of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and Sundance London, as well as the 2021 Berlinale Generation where it earned the Special Mention in the 14plus competition, Cryptozoo is a dazzling fantasy from the mind of visionary filmmaker Dash Shaw (High School Sinking into the Sea). Featuring an animation style that recalls René Laloux’s Fantastic Planet, the film is a mesmerising experience you’ll never forget.
Set in a world inhabited by both humans and rare mythical creatures known as “Cryptids”, it tells the story of Lauren, a zookeeper who has dedicated her life to finding and bringing these controversial beings under the protection of her sanctuary – the titular Cryptozoo. When she attempts to track down an elusive, dream-eating beast and bring it to safety, she enters into a dangerous mission to find it before it is captured and exploited by the military.
A vibrant and fantastical critique of capitalist values and the efficacies of utopias, Dash’s wondrous second feature blends awe-inspiring visuals with an unbridled imagination that makes for a truly unique cinematic journey. The film features vocal performances from Lake Bell (In a World, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Juno), Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick, Ruby Sparks), Grace Zabriskie (Twin Peaks), Alex Karpovsky (Girls), Peter Stormare (American Gods), and Louisa Krouse (Billions), and a freewheeling score by John Caroll Kirby.
