Memoir of a Snail / Mary and Max Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Memoir of a Snail / Mary and Max Blu-ray Movie Review

A two-punch combo, right in the grief bone.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 6, 2025

IFC Films' brand-new double feature Blu-ray Memoir of a Snail / Mary and Max bundles together two like-minded stop-motion films from Australian writer-director Adam Elliott, whose unmistakable style and mature storytelling elements are on full display during these two critically acclaimed tragicomedies. Although the Memoir of a Snail disc is identical to its standalone counterpart released the same day, somewhat curiously Mary and Max is a newly-pressed Blu-ray (which is not available separately) with a few small changes to the slightly superior 2010 Blu-ray covered below. Nonetheless, collectively this is still a solid value and a very easy way to jump headfirst into the director's singular world.*

For an overview and appreciation of Mary and Max, please see Casey Broadwater's glowing review of IFC Films' 2010 Blu-ray. I agree with Casey's take on the material and would likely also rate it 4.5/5 on its own, pushing it slightly but notably ahead of Memoir of a Snail in direct comparison. Simply put, it's a pretty damn impressive feature-length debut and, due to the director's relative "newness" upon its release (at least to all but the most devoted fans of animation), this gave Mary and Max a greater initial impact that still holds up roughly fifteen years later.

For my thoughts on Memoir of a Snail, please see my review of the 2025 Blu-ray.

* -Die-hard fans of the director (who aren't scared to import Blu-rays) will perhaps be even more interested in Madman Entertainment's recent Adam Elliot Collection, which contains all of his stop-motion work thus far.

Memoir of a Snail / Mary and Max Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For video details about Mary and Max's, please see Casey Broadwater's review of the 2010 Blu-ray. Oddly enough (unless our database is wrong), the older Blu-ray is a dual-layered BD-50 disc whereas the one included here is a BD-25. Nonetheless, Mary and Max runs at a supportive bit rate that usually hovers between 20-30Mbps, which seems to be plenty for this near-monochromatic production. A quick look at screenshots on both reviews reveals overwhelming similarities, and as such most if not all of the praise Casey heaped upon the 2010 Blu-ray can be applied here.

For my thoughts on Memoir of a Snail's transfer, please see my review of the 2025 Blu-ray.

Memoir of a Snail / Mary and Max Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For information about Mary and Max's audio, please see Casey Broadwater's review of the 2010 Blu-ray.

Likewise, my thoughts about Memoir of a Snail can be found in my review of the 2025 Blu-ray.

Memoir of a Snail / Mary and Max Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc set ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with split cover artwork and no slipcover or inserts. A handful of bonus features, including separate audio commentaries with writer-director Adam Elliot, can be found on each disc and all but one new extra are covered in more detail in their respective reviews linked above.

Mary and Max*

• Audio Commentary with writer/director Adam Elliot

• Making Mary and Max (15:48)

• Behind-the-Scenes of Mary and Max (8:15)

• KINDA NEW! Interview with Philip Seymour Hoffman (8:16) - This undated Q&A-style interview with the late, great actor (voice of "Max") was obviously created for promotion before or during the film's theatrical run and features Hoffman speaking candidly about his character and experiences making the film. I've no idea why this one didn't make the cut the first time around... but better late than never, I guess.

* - Please note that a number of bonus features from the 2010 Blu-ray have unfortunately not been carried over here; these missing extras include two minutes of alternate scenes, a short "Casting Call" featurette, two trailers for Mary and Max and, most annoyingly, Adam Elliot's Oscar-nominated 2003 short film Harvie Krumpet.

Memoir of a Snail

• Audio Commentary with writer-director Adam Elliot

• Q&A with Adam Elliot and Jacki Weaver (28:17)

• Magic of Stop Motion (1:08)

• Interview with Sarah Snook (3:49)

• Making of Memoir of a Snail (6:30)

• Behind the Scenes of Memoir of a Snail (2:38)

Memoir of a Snail / Mary and Max Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Writer-director Adam Elliot's curious blend of bleak, character-driven stories and handcrafted stop-motion animation make his films singular slices of tragicomedy, ready to delight and probably even horrify unsuspecting viewers raised on more cheerful material. Needless to say his work isn't for all ages and certainly not for all tastes... but if it floats your boat, 2009's Mary and Max and 2024's Memoir of a Snail -- Elliot's only two full-length films in his 30-year career thus far -- make a good double feature and that's what you get here. Missing extras on Mary and Max mean that owners of the 2010 Blu-ray may want to just buy Memoir of a Snail on its own, but newcomers can pick their poison.