Filmmaking is a collaborative process: even the most fanatical auteur directors have to enlist the help of others to bring their visions to the screen. But in the case of stop-motion animation, anyone with enough time, creativity and sheer bloody-mindedness can theoretically make a movie all by themselves.
That more people don’t is probably a reflection of how arduous the process is. Takahide Hori spent seven years toiling on his debut feature, “Junk Head,” and a few more trying to raise funding and get the film released. After receiving a warm reception at overseas festivals in 2017, it’s taken so long to arrive in Japanese theaters that its cult movie status seems preordained.
While it would be inaccurate to describe “Junk Head” — which started life as a half-hour short — as a one-man creation, there’s little that Hori wasn’t involved in, from the direction and cinematography to the music and visual effects. At times, it can feel like watching an overgrown child playing with their toys, though I don’t think many kids have toys as cool as these.