The last time I remember an animated film that told its story almost completely without dialogue was 2003's The Triplets of Bellville. Flow couldn't be a more different movie despite both being gorgeously animated films from non-English language countries. Flow isn't comedy. It is a beautiful tragedy which takes on climate disaster head on and offers some limited hope with its central character, a nameless black cat.
Western audiences are used to seeing anthropomorphized animals in animation who talk. That is not what Flow is about. Here the animals act as animals do in the real world. This is a story about survival as water levels rise. There are moments of humour and even some joy. But there are also intense moments of danger and concern. Flow is entirely appropriate for all but the youngest of children.
I felt Flow didn't quite... flow... during some of the middle where it dragged. But it remains quite powerful throughout. The most incredible aspect is how it looks. The film was made through open source animation technology and looks more beautiful than most of what Disney put out this year. This is another 2024 example of just how democratized film making is becoming.
Flow
Director: Gints Zilbalodis
Writers: Matīss Kaža, Gints Zilbalodis
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