It stars the voices of Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Eric Bana, Magda Szubanski, Dominique Pinon, Tony Armstrong, Paul Capsis, Nick Cave, and Jacki Weaver.

[8] Grace Pudel is a young girl in 1970s Melbourne, Australia, who lives with her twin brother Gilbert and their French father Percy, a former juggler who is now a paraplegic alcoholic.

As a teenager, Grace eventually befriends an eccentric but kind elderly woman named Pinky, who always finds silver linings in her life despite some misfortunes, such as losing two husbands and many jobs.

When Ian and Narelle retire to join a nudist group, Pinky becomes Grace's foster mother, continuing to support her through puberty despite her still feeling depressed and aimless.

Now alone with nothing to live for, Grace decides to commit suicide by eating poison, but she spits it out at the last second upon realising that Pinky has left her box of savings for her in the potato patch.

The website's consensus reads: "This stop motion odyssey of hope triumphing over life's despair with humanity to spare makes Memoir of a Snail a deft, heartfelt tale.

[16] Peter Debruge of Variety commended director Adam Elliot's dedication to a "dark and surprisingly moving brand of storytelling" and praised the film's voice cast and score.

[10] In Deadline, Stephanie Bunbury noted repetitive elements of the plot and dialogue but argued that these flaws underscored the film's themes of human imperfection.