The Happytime Murders (2018)
No sesame. All street.
In a world where humans coexist with puppets—who are seen as lesser citizens—cast members of a beloved 1990s children's television series begin getting murdered one by one. Puppet Phil Philips, an ex-LAPD detective-turned-private eye, takes on the case at the request of his old boss in order to assist his former partner, Detective Connie Edwards.
In The Happytime Murders, consciousness is carried by toys and objects — a plane of “puppet noir”. The story fights on E8/E9/E10 of the E0–E14 reality ladder, compressing prejudice, law, crime, exploitation, identity.
Same rung, same subject
Films fighting at the same level of reality, about the same things.
The Neon Demon (2016)E8/E9/E10 · exploitation, identity
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)E8/E9/E10 · crime, identity
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018)E8/E9/E10 · identity, law
Manderlay (2005)E8/E9/E10 · exploitation, law
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022)E8/E9/E10 · identity, law
Hitpig! (2024)E8/E9/E10 · exploitation, identitySame subject, different rung
The same preoccupations examined at another scale — one mind versus a nation.
Also bends a rule of reality
Other films that change a standing rule of their world — ranked first by those bending it at the same rung.
Bee Movie (2007)alters at E8 · same rung · loose
Ella Enchanted (2004)alters at E8 · same rung · loose
Short Circuit 2 (1988)alters at E8 · same rung · loose
Avatar (2009)alters at E8 · same rung · loose
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)alters at E8 · same rung · rigorous
Us (2019)alters at E8 · same rung · looseAlso hides consciousness here
Other films that move a human interior onto the same kind of thing.
Ted 2 (2015)consciousness in objects · sentient plush
Barbie (2023)consciousness in objects · doll society
Christopher Robin (2018)consciousness in objects · toy-wood reality
UglyDolls (2019)consciousness in objects · toy society
The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017)consciousness in objects · lego city
Barbie: Spy Squad (2016)consciousness in objects · toy-societySame subject, different mask
The same preoccupations carried by a different kind of thing — grief told through the dead, an animal, a machine.
The Jungle Book (2016)consciousness in animals · identity, law
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022)consciousness in monsters · identity, law
The Bad Guys (2022)consciousness in animals · identity, law
Secret of the Wings (2012)consciousness carried elsewhere · identity, law
Alien Nation (1988)consciousness in aliens · identity, law
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)consciousness carried elsewhere · identity, law
