The story of Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life follows a small dog who walks away from a perfectly pleasant domestic life—a house, a family, food, everything a pet could want—because she feels something's missing. That restless pull, that sense that comfort isn't enough. Meryl Streep voices this character with a kind of world-weary curiosity, and the film doesn't judge her for leaving. Instead, it asks: what is more? The short unfolds as a fever dream of a journey, mixing live-action footage with animation in ways that feel genuinely odd, sometimes unsettling, sometimes darkly funny. Our protagonist encounters strange characters and stranger situations—a world that doesn't quite obey the rules of either animation or reality. It's the kind of film that doesn't wrap things up neatly, and that's exactly the point.
Behind the making of Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life
Directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, working under the banner Clyde Henry Productions, created this film for the National Film Board of Canada in association with Warner Home Video. That's a meaningful pedigree—the NFB has long been a haven for experimental animation, and this project fits squarely in that tradition. Spike Jonze didn't just lend his voice to the role of the Cat; he also served as a producer, alongside Vincent Landay and Marcy Page. Jonze's involvement signals something important: this wasn't a vanity project or a quick paycheck for established talent. The cast itself reads like a who's who of serious actors willing to do something genuinely strange. Forest Whitaker appears in the film, as do Alain Goulem, Jackie Burroughs, and others—a roster suggesting the filmmakers attracted collaborators who trusted their vision. The 23-minute runtime is deliberately short, almost like a long short story rather than a feature, which gives the film permission to be fragmentary, to not explain itself. Released in 2010, it arrived in a moment when hybrid animation-live-action work was still relatively uncommon in the short-film space.
What makes Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life stand out
Honestly, what's striking about this film is how it refuses to be comforting. Most animated shorts aimed at any kind of mainstream audience want to deliver a moral or a warm ending. This one doesn't. Streep's performance—and you can hear it in her voice, a kind of resigned determination—captures something true about ambition and dissatisfaction that most films won't touch. The animation style itself is deliberately unsettling. It's not cute or polished; it's grainy, sometimes crude, intentionally at odds with the photorealistic live-action sequences it's spliced with. That collision between mediums mirrors the protagonist's own collision with a world that doesn't fit her expectations. The thing nobody mentions is how genuinely lonely this film is. There's a melancholy running through it—not sadness exactly, but a kind of existential weariness that feels earned rather than affected. The IMDb rating of 6.1 out of 10 probably reflects viewers who came in expecting something more conventionally rewarding. But that score also suggests the film has found its audience among people who appreciate work that's willing to be difficult, strange, and unresolved.
Where to stream Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life online
You can currently watch Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life on Prime Video. The film's relatively brief runtime—just 23 minutes—makes it perfect for streaming: you can fit it into a lunch break or slot it between longer features. If you're hunting for where it's available right now, Movie OTT tracks current streaming availability across multiple platforms, so you'll always know which service has it when you're ready to watch. Since it's a smaller, experimental film rather than a major studio release, availability can shift, so checking the where-to-watch widget at the top of this page will give you the most current information. Prime Video's catalog of independent and international animation has grown significantly, and this Canadian gem fits well within that collection.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life?
The film was directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, who work together as Clyde Henry Productions. They created the film for the National Film Board of Canada in 2010.
Q: What actors voice the characters in Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life?
Meryl Streep voices the protagonist dog, while Spike Jonze voices the Cat. The cast also includes Forest Whitaker, Alain Goulem, Jackie Burroughs, Al Tuck, and Audrée Juteau.
Q: Is Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life based on a book?
The title references a children's book by Maurice Sendak, though the film is its own original interpretation rather than a direct adaptation of the source material.
Q: How long is Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life?
The film runs 23 minutes, making it a short film rather than a feature-length work.
Q: Where can I watch Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life?
The film is currently available on Prime Video. Check your local streaming availability using the where-to-watch widget, as platforms and regions can vary.
Final thoughts on Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life
This isn't a film for everyone. It's deliberately weird, narratively ambiguous, and emotionally unsatisfying in the way that art sometimes needs to be. But if you're the kind of viewer who appreciates experimental work—animation that takes risks, performances that underplay rather than oversell, stories that end with questions instead of answers—then Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life deserves your time. It's a short commitment, and it'll stay with you long after those 23 minutes end. The kind of film that makes you wonder why you left your own house today.
