The Grand Illusion

It’s "BAMBI meets APOCALYPSE NOW" in this provocative and strangely beautiful horror comedy from acclaimed filmmaker and illustrator Alberto Vazquez (BIRDBOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN), who uses its outrageous candy-colored premise to explore religious zealotry, the tortured legacies of military fascism, and the depths of the soul.

For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the prophecy and usher in a new era. Aggressive, confident teddy bear Bluey and his sensitive, withdrawn brother Tubby could not be more different. As the rigors and humiliation of teddy bear boot camp turn to the psychedelic horrors of a combat tour in the Magic Forest, their complicated history and increasingly strained relationship will come to determine the fate of the entire war.

In Spanish with English subtitles.

“The craftsmanship is as impressive as [director] Vázquez’s talent for Trojan Horsing metaphors about the human condition into a movie about teddy bears knifing unicorns.” Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“Even this early in the year, it seems unfathomable that another release could dethrone Unicorn Wars as the most uncompromisingly audacious animated film of 2023.” Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times