In the dark and drizzly world of Malaria (as in, ahem, the child-killing disease), one lowly, sad-sack hunchback (John Cusack) attempts to win the annual Evil Science Fair. Unfortunately, his plans go awry when his monstrous creation turns out… well, not nearly as unpleasant as he hoped.

Animated with an obvious nod to budget and haste, Igor’s look veers drunkenly between Burtonesque dark-whimsy and cheap, Hanna-Barbera-style piffle. Shoddiness aside, though, it’s a compellingly oddball tale that should eventually find its niche as a minor late-night cult classic for Nightmare Before Christmas fans. In the meantime, it will force many parents to explain grown-up concepts like suicide and spousal abuse to their puzzled sprogs. A weird one.