Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Creepy Mexican stop-motion fantasy with peril, scary scenes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
I Am Frankelda
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Francisca Imedla (voiced by Mireya Mendoza) is a talented fantasy writer living in the late 1800s in Mexico in I AM FRANKELDA. When her artistic mother dies, she's left to live with her grandmother, who believes a woman's role is to complete household tasks like mending socks. Others also diminish her talents, but she believes in the power of story and redefines her identity as the author Frankelda. When one of her characters, Prince Herneval (Arturo Mercado Jr.), appears to her in the human world and draws her into his underworld, she learns that her stories have actual powers to create and control creatures. But as the creatures come to life, they have agency too, and some—led by Procustes (Luis Leonardo Suárez)—will attempt to control her imagination in order to take control of their world.
Is It Any Good?
Newcomers to the Frankelda universe might find this fantasy world surprisingly inventive and original, but it's also quite dark, making it an iffy choice for very young or sensitive kids. The stop-motion I Am Frankelda is clearly a labor of love, which comes across in the meticulously-crafted realms and characters. In that way, form follows function, as the story offers a rousing call to support creative pursuits, arguing through the character of Frankelda that the world would be extremely boring and flat if everything were literal. It's as if Frankelda is making a case for the work of her own creators. She's not wrong, but the speedy events and wild creatures of her imagined world won't be for everyone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the human realm and the realm of the terrors interact in I Am Frankelda. Are the creatures in the underworld real or only figments of Frankelda's imagination?
Do Frankelda and Herneval have a future? Why or why not? What did you think of the film's ending?
What does the film show about women's roles and how girls might have been treated in 19th century Mexico? Where could you find more information?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 12, 2026
- Cast : Mireya Mendoza , Arturo Mercado Jr. , Luis Leonardo Suárez
- Directors : Arturo Ambriz , Roy Ambriz
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Mexican Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Mexican Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Arts , Dystopia , Family Stories ( Dads , Grandparents , Moms ) , Fantasy ( Fairy Tales , Monsters ) , Friendship
- Run time : 114 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : scary content throughout, some violence, bloody images, thematic material and brief language
- Last updated : June 9, 2026
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