Erin Derham’s documentary plunges us into a world you’ve probably never thought about, the fantastical world of taxidermy. Maybe “fantastical” is too hyperbolic, but it is definitely a feeling Derham tries to evoke in this occasionally thought-provoking but ultimately redundant 84-minute expose on a craft that is experiencing a surprising revival in the 21st century.

Taxidermy is a sculpting art that involves skinning dead animals and making life-sized models of them with the intent of preserving their bodies for future display or study. If you’ve been to any major science or natural history museum, you’ve likely seen the stuffed replicas in glass display cases, sometimes complete with immaculate set designs. Stuffed is about the artists, the taxidermists behind these sculptures, and the passion that goes into the craft.

While Derham makes the most out of the subject matter, the film is devoid of any sense of contemporary urgency. The film is pretty much a revolving door of similar-sounding voices taking turns reminding us just how much they really love taxidermy.

How many anecdotes do we actually need of taxidermists telling us about the “process?” There comes a point where saying the same thing with varying intensity doesn’t make it more raw. There is also no real conflict here, just interview after interview. Explanatory and compelling glimpses into what taxidermy reveals about the beauty of nature can only be pushed so far.

If one were to do a quick Google search on the “history of taxidermy,” one would see how the craft has deep cultural lineages to ancient Egyptian, Native American, and African preservation practices. Yet the film is literally entirely white. The subjects at one point discuss how taxidermy has “connected them to people from vastly different cultures and different backgrounds,” even though every taxidermist here is of European descent. There is one comment about black servants carrying the bags for an influential taxidermist, but that’s about the only reference to people of color.

However, there is also fawning nostalgia for Victorian history and Anglo-centric environmentalism, such as that exemplified by Teddy Roosevelt. However, Roosevelt never extended his love for conservation to the hundreds of animals he and his son Kermit massacred in Africa.

This is not to discredit the passion behind the artistry of taxidermy. There are scenes that delve into why animal preservation is an important craft, especially for zoologists and given the climate change crisis that is wiping out various species at unprecedented rates. Unfortunately, these are passing mentions.