Decorado (FANTASTIC) is the Scrappy, Mouse Dystopian Horror Musical You Didn’t Know You Needed
Title: Decorado
First Non-Festival Release: October 24, 2025 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Alberto Vázquez
Writer: F. Xavier Manuel, Alberto Vázquez
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Starring: Asier Hormaza, Aintzane Gamiz, Kandido Uranga
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2025.
The idea of escaping the terrifying reality of real-life haunts many. Whether it’s the economy, politics, home life, or the media we consume, life has many ways of bringing down even the most idealistic among us.
Arnold (Asier Hormaza) is a mouse with a dream of a better life but makes no movement towards achieving it. When his friend Ramiro is disappeared in the woods by a terrifying Owl, Arnold decides to push back against the powers that keep the animals of his city subjugated. His wife Maria (Aintzane Gamiz) is at a loss for how to help him but also frustrated at how burnt out she is too. The further Arnold gets lost within the various mysteries of his city, the more he is convinced that there is something terribly wrong. Nothing will stop Arnold from finding the truth, even if he loses himself in the process.
Whip-smart comedy and dazzling artwork make Decorado a unique animated dystopian horror.
The animals of Decorado are not doing well. And it’s their dissatisfaction with life, particularly the ways elites make it worse for everyone, that makes it special. This pervasive depressing atmosphere infects everything within the bustling metropolis. Like many powerful stories in history, animals are used as a stand in for humans to better detail the more messed up elements of Anywhere’s society that mirror our own. These animals aren’t cute and cuddly, they have bite. Drug addicts, corrupt police officers, sycophantic coworkers, Karens, the list goes on. Everyone has something up their sleeve and thanks to their own miserable circumstances they breed even more misery. Sometimes it’s easier to see humanity reflected in things so unlike ourselves to better picture the ways we fail and can do better.
Balancing its anti-corporate message with its more whimsical elements, Decorado understands that the most effective messaging lies with its characters. With a universal message and the blank canvas animals provide to tell the story, Arnold’s journey in Decorado feels authentic. His dissatisfaction with life, the violence inflicted on himself and others, and all the chips stacked against him serve as his push to look for something better. Through a capitalist lens, Arnold’s story is meant to serve as a cautionary tale on the dangers of individualism, conspiracy theories, and ignoring mental health. It’s clear once watching, however, that all the issues stem from the powers that guide the city in carrying out its horrific abuses.
Arnold’s individual life story isn’t unique either; the failures of Anywhere extend to all its residents. Problems affect everyone here, including the busybodies who concern themselves with the state of their neighbor’s home, its rabid police force unconcerned with the general welfare of the people it claims to protect, and the mob of easily pliable citizens controlled like puppets to fulfill the goals of the elite’s sinister plans. It works because of Anywhere’s surgically carved social hierarchy and safety net. Everyone here is stretched, working tough jobs to make ends meet or otherwise sacrificing their comfort for the chance to move up in life. The gig economy is thriving, as is drug trafficking, nepotism, and general corruption. The problems of this city reflect the many multifaceted issues people are faced with which can exhaust anyone with the sheer number of problems making life worse. These toadies and the problems they enhance are warnings on the dangers of total obsequience to authority.
Lush visuals bring out the beauty in the dark fable. With animated films, interesting ideas can be conveyed in ways that aren’t possible with live action, and Decorado is no different. Beyond the amusing juxtaposition of making cute forest animals depressed, Decorado develops it further through the animation. Like a kaleidoscope of horrors, the unraveling of Arnold takes place in many a vast and interesting locale. From exploring the creepy forest that engulfs the city from its outskirts or spelunking through the expansive tunnels of the sewer system, Decorado goes big in making its world full and vibrant. The animation allows the team to make their characters, and their actions, larger-than-life in an effort to make the terror of living in Anywhere more palpable. The best example comes back to the mysterious bird of prey terrorizing the forest with its relentless pursuit of citizens snooping where they shouldn’t. Bright colors and even bolder ideas, Decorado dresses up the darkness for the theatricality of it all.
Fans of animated horror will delight in the hilarious takedown of corporatism that makes Decorado so fun and special. A horror take on The Truman Show with a dash of whimsy thrown in for good measure, Decorado is a biting satire that challenges viewers to think critically about the world in which they live. It doesn’t quite go far enough in all aspects, but the final product is a captivating and intriguing animated dystopian horror that has plenty of fun with its unique premise. When it reaches the States, you’ll find that Decorado is much more than scenery.
Overall Score? 7/10
