Cheesebridge is a town obsessed with social status and cheese consumption. The town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (voiced by Ben Kingsley), manipulates the citizens’ fears of the Boxtrolls, mysterious creatures that come out at night, to gain power and influence.
The Boxtrolls, however, are gentle creatures who scavenge and build gadgets from discarded items. They raise a human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) in their underground lair. The Boxtrolls wear discarded boxes as clothing, each labeled with a unique name based on the box’s brand.
Snatcher, eager to join the prestigious White Hats, makes a deal with the town leaders, promising to exterminate the Boxtrolls in exchange for a white hat symbolizing high social status. He begins capturing the Boxtrolls, leading Eggs to venture to the surface to save his friends.
Eggs encounters Winnie Portley-Rind (voiced by Elle Fanning), the daughter of a town leader, who helps him navigate the surface world. Together, they uncover Snatcher’s devious plan to eliminate the Boxtrolls.
In the climax, Snatcher captures most of the Boxtrolls and uses a machine to turn them into cheese. However, Eggs, Winnie, and the remaining Boxtrolls team up to stop him. During the confrontation, Snatcher is exposed to the Boxtroll-transformed cheese and has an allergic reaction that causes him to swell grotesquely.
The film ends with the townspeople realizing the truth about the Boxtrolls, and Eggs and Winnie bringing harmony between the humans and the creatures. The former adversaries unite to rebuild the town and establish equality.
“The Boxtrolls” received positive reviews for its unique animation style, engaging story, and themes of acceptance and tolerance. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.