There were six films nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Golden Globe ceremony. Of the nominees, two of those movies were sequels, one was a film in an already-established franchise, one was a novel adaptation, and only two were fully original products. Of these original works, one was the stop-motion dramedy “Memoir of a Snail,” and the other was the ultimate winner of the award: “Flow.”
The movie completely stands apart from all the competition it had at the award ceremony and any other major animated feature released in recent years. Featuring zero dialogue, the film, the second feature-length movie directed by Latvia’s Gints Zilbalodis, features a cat in a world once inhabited by humans. The surrounding nature has taken over man-made buildings, further proving that the world is void of humanity. When a major flood unexpectedly appears, the cat is forced to seek refuge on a boat and make companions with a capybara, a lemur, a golden retriever and a secretary bird to exist and traverse in this new world.
Notably, these are not animals that are anthropomorphized. They act like their respective animals, though with a little more sass added to each of their actions and expressions. The dog acts excitable and is looking to please those around him, the lemur is possessive and climbs around the ship, and the cat is curious, but also initially agitated by everyone when he first meets them.
This puts the film in a category of its own in a world where the Disney formula of using animals as placeholders for people has prevailed for decades. While this could have led to the film feeling disjointed, making it hard for the viewer to relate to any of the characters, “Flow” does anything but. The movie succeeds in nearly every aspect, creating an incredibly enjoyable product for all viewers.
One of the most notable aspects of the film is its visuals. Made entirely in the free software Blender, “Flow” has many breathtaking shots that look like they should be hung in a museum. From the gorgeous sunsets that lay over the water as the flood begins to the forest backgrounds in the film’s final scenes, it’s hard to tell that the film was made with free software that every person with an internet connection has access to.
The only sign of the film’s small budget, clocking in at only $3.7 million, are the characters themselves. The fur on many of them often looks like a compressed video artifact, blocky and very much distorted. While it is distracting when first noticed, the viewer eventually comes to accept this as the film’s visual styling and can further appreciate the eye candy the rest of the film has to offer.
The story itself is also wildly intriguing, as it’s clear that we are only looking at a very small piece of the fantastical world in which these characters are found. Every moment of the film’s runtime introduces new elements that create more and more questions about where these characters find themselves.
Where are the humans? How long have they been gone? Who built the monstrous cat statue shown in the trailer? How was the flood even created? These are just a few of the questions that the viewer asks within the early moments of the film, and many more are bound to be asked during the remainder of the film. Many of these questions are never answered.
However, that never distracts from the core story that’s taking place, nor does it leave the viewer with a sour taste in their mouth.
The use of water and its constant rising creates a real sense of anxiety in the viewer, giving an unsettling backdrop for the cat and the rest of the characters throughout the entire film. This sense of unease remains intact, even when the middle half of the film is much more relaxed and comedic compared to the beginning and climax.
This film never shies away from the dramatics, and thanks to the breathtaking soundtrack written by Zilbalodis and Rihards Zaļupe, the viewer is entranced in these scenes. The first scene of the cat entering the boat perfectly highlights this feeling, and the entire segment is a standout of the film.
Overall, “Flow” is an absolutely breathtaking piece of cinema. From the visuals to the characters to the story that leaves each viewer with their own unique interpretation, the film is truly a standout in the world of animation. When it seems like every new film to come out is a sequel or a new addition to a franchise, a wholly original film is a breath of fresh air. “Flow” being amazing on top of that originality makes it something that all film enjoyers, not just children, should watch.
The film is now available to watch on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
