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The Pied Piper

Play trailer Poster for The Pied Piper 1987 1h 2m Drama Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
In this stop-motion animation, the corrupt townsfolk of a medieval village go about their haggling in the marketplace. One night, a plague of rats descends on the town. While debating how to rid themselves of the infestation, the villagers are interrupted by a strange piper whose hypnotic music is capable of luring the rats over a cliff. They agree to pay the piper to lead the vermin to their doom. But when greed consumes the villagers, they get more than they bargained for.
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The Pied Piper

Critics Reviews

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Budd Wilkins Slant Magazine Sep 24, 2025
The Pied Piper is a pitch-black fairy tale of greed, corruption, duplicity, and betrayal. Go to Full Review
Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com Sep 18, 2023
A-
A striking picture. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Logan D @Greynomad38 Sep 10, 2026 Seems foolish to scam a person with magical powers. A beautifully dark stop-motion film. Although sporting a simple plot, the grotesque imagery and violent acts implied or shown demonstrate this isn't for kids. This is handcrafted artistry, featuring characters carved from wood, rugged and blocky. One of those films you sat on for a while and now regret taking so long to view it. See more Alec B @Alec97 May 4, 2026 The rats become human and the humans become rats. Truly terrifying stuff. The pied piper isn't so much death in this adaptation as divine judgment. The whole town is rotten to the core even before the vermin show up and his arrival is a test that gives way to punishment when failed. Every set and character design is just perfect too. So much to love in this. See more TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch Jan 3, 2026 The Pied Piper is a strange and unsettling animated take on the classic folktale. Using a wooden, stop-motion–style animation, the film creates a creepy and realistic look that feels more like horror than a traditional cartoon. The visuals alone make it disturbing, especially given how grounded and lifeless the characters appear. The story follows the familiar Pied Piper legend, but leans hard into darkness. Rats overrun the town, and when the Piper leads them away, their fate is brutal and shocking. Seeing this kind of imagery in animation is jarring, especially as it doesn’t shy away from grim outcomes. The screenplay is uneven. With no dialogue, the film relies entirely on visuals, forcing the audience to piece everything together. While this can be effective, it also makes parts of the story feel lost or unclear. The direction is creative and confident, and the concept itself is bold. While it’s not something I’d revisit, that’s more personal taste than quality. See more Jul 4, 2021 Apaixonada no gráfico, a ideia de fazer a população mesquinha e ambiciosa com aspecto robótico e metálico, contrastando com ratos reais, deu todo um charme a produção, aliado ausência de falas, entretanto, o diálogo utilizado é inteligível, mas os sentimentos, conversas, ações, muito bem perceptível, incrivelmente transmitindo toda a magia da obra, com seu ar sombrio, dos fatos históricos, qualidade impecável, inteligente, criativo, muito bem produzido, encantador, apaixonante… See more Aug 4, 2015 A short but memorable stop motion. With unique puppets, sets and one hell of a screwed up ending. Watch it! See more Dec 5, 2010 Amazingly dark and expressionistic take on the tale of the Pied Piper. Brilliant animation. See more Read all reviews
The Pied Piper

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this stop-motion animation, the corrupt townsfolk of a medieval village go about their haggling in the marketplace. One night, a plague of rats descends on the town. While debating how to rid themselves of the infestation, the villagers are interrupted by a strange piper whose hypnotic music is capable of luring the rats over a cliff. They agree to pay the piper to lead the vermin to their doom. But when greed consumes the villagers, they get more than they bargained for.
Director
Jiri Barta
Screenwriter
Kamil Pixa
Production Co
Krátký Film Praha, Studio Jirího Trnky, TV 2000 Film- und Fernsehproduktions
Genre
Drama, Animation
Original Language
Czech
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 6, 1987, Wide
Runtime
1h 2m
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