So Many Things Going On Here

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2015)

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is simply a triumph. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. Although I wouldn't recommend it to anyone younger than 16; there are some pretty messed-up undertones swirling around here.
The first level is the craftsmanship. It raises the bar of stop-motion work to a level higher than it has ever been before. The voice acting is impeccable. And the music is haunting, inspired, and practically couldn't have been improved upon. This alone adds up to a superbly entertaining experience.
The second level is the writing, which is where the real genius is. On the surface, it appears to be a story about a likable little girl who learns a lesson about appreciating what you have in life. This story is told by introducing a villain -- the Beldam -- who attempts to exploit Coraline's boredom with her family by trying to tempt her into trapping herself in an alternate world. Coraline, in true hero fashion, resists the Beldam's temptations, and all is well with the world.
However, below this lies a third level, borne out in certain details. Who is the Beldam? Where did she come from? She's not quite like the villains in other fantasy worlds, like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland or the Witch in Wizard of Oz. The Beldam is quite aware of Coraline's "real" life outside of the fantasy one, and uses that knowledge to try and entrap her. She is not a despotic ruler of some cuddly fantasy world; she's an evil sociopath operating in OUR world. That is creepy.
The paranormal overtones with the "water witching" and the ghosts help to suggest that the Beldam is an evil spirit who is attached to the house. There are countless stories by people who have nothing to gain by lying about having been terrorized by discarnate entities that know things about them.
Perhaps most creepy of all, though, is the omnipotence of the Beldam suggested by seeing her face in the real world's garden at the end. As if to suggest that Coraline has only done what she was expected to do. Again, what is the Beldam? Some personality so cunning that he/she is capable of completely controlling people without being held accountable for it.
Now THAT'S f*cking scary.