A24’s Marcel the Shell with Shoes on is as strange as its title suggests, and a unique and refreshing take on life’s simple pleasures. In a world of increasingly exaggerated, flashy, and fantastical films, writer/director/actor Dean Fleischer-Camp relies solely on the cute voice of the anthropomorphic marine mollusk and some gorgeous, if confined, cinematography. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival last September and was released in the United States last week. It has received universal acclaim from critics, with a 100 percent (you read that correctly) Tomatometer score.

It’s easy to see why. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is not the hero’s first rodeo, but it is his greatest, with an even bigger narrative scale and emotional scope than before. The gregarious, one-inch tall, one-eyed seashell was first introduced to the world via YouTube. This mockumentary-style feature film broadens the miniature mollusk’s origins, giving us a life-affirming, charming, and sweet-natured journey.

Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) lives in a quiet suburban home used as an Airbnb, where he encounters minimal human interference. He meets the world with a childlike curiosity, a thirst for knowledge, and an out-of-the-box imagination. Marcel’s days are spent bouncing around the house in a tennis ball used to traverse the sprawling space. His bed is a slice of bread, and he has a pet lint ball named Alan. He has also orchestrated a network of ropes and pulleys to reach high places, view the outside world, and venture into the garden where his grandmother, Connie (voiced by Isabella Rossellini), often works in tandem with the various insects present in the foliage. There used to be more mollusks that resided in this humble abode until a mysterious exodus occurred, leaving Marcel and Connie stranded.

Our peppy protagonist’s world changes once amateur documentarian Dean visits the home after a breakup, hoping to throw himself into his work. The fledgling filmmaker is rarely seen and is mainly heard when he and his subject comedically banter while filming. Dean finds an enterprising, silly spirit to showcase in short films he uploads to YouTube. After a few uploads, Marcel becomes a viral sensation. But underneath the temporary internet fame, Dean uncovers Marcel’s worries about his Nana’s frail, forgetful state and his yearning to rescue and rediscover his community before it leaves him all alone. With the urgency to fuel their quest, the pair set out to look for what is missing.

Sentiment is a prized commodity for a picture such as this, where laughter and poignancy frequently co-mingle. Camp, Slate, and co-screenwriter Nick Paley are able to layer in tenderness along with highly comedic scenarios and dialogue minus any sense of desperate, cloying, or treacly twee — a true feat for a film that runs high on sweetness and charm. The long-running gag involving Marcel ribbing Dean’s dog, who loves to encroach on Marcel’s turf, is hilarious, as are many of the follies he encounters at home and on the road. Plus, it is incredibly moving to see his tenacity, risk-taking, and courage. Marcel conveys both sadness and happiness, making the third act feel well-earned without becoming overly sentimental.

Through the prism of this small shell’s tribulations, creators Camp and Slate rather vulnerably open themselves up to examining their own marital fissure. It is embraced with brave, raw honesty. They thread the needle expertly through Marcel and Dean’s enlightened discussions about Dean’s recent romantic split and how that subtly parallels Marcel’s quest not to fear the future.

In addition to its well-conceived, properly paced narrative, the aesthetic, auditory, and animated aspects bring this universe to life. The cinematography is poetically evocative, while the delicate undertones of composer Disasterpeace’s score, along with some carefully curated soundtrack selections, complement narrative ebbs and flows.

Ultimately, Marcel’s clever creators reward our willingness to believe he and his world are real while offering an opportunity to look at our own world from a different perspective. It seems ironic that a minuscule seashell who skates on dusty coffee tables, adores 60 Minutes, and uses honey to walk on walls could generate such serious amounts of pathos. But for a character with such a tiny footprint, his shoes leave a remarkably lasting impression.