Breathtaking and majestic, the Oscar-winning flick is a must watch for movie lovers of all ages.
I came into Flow (Latvian: Straume) knowing hardly anything about it—or the country from which it came, Latvia.
On Twitter, I follow and regularly interact with posts on animated films, which I suspect caused my algorithm to cough out content related to the film, which has been receiving a lot of love as of late. My curiosity piqued but refusing to have the plot spoiled, I deliberately didn’t search for information related to the movie.
So I approached Flow with little expectations, despite it winning the Oscar for best animated feature just a few days ago, beating box-office hits like Inside Out 2 and Wallace and Gromit. Its win was the first-ever for Latvia, a Baltic state of no more than 2 million people, and doomed Disney to three consecutive years of losing the award to much smaller animation studios (HAH!).
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For a little bit of spoiler-free context—not that the film is plot-heavy—Flow quite literally follows a black cat with the most expressive eyes and the most confident gait. Set in what seems like a post-apocalyptic world with no humans, the story tracks the cat’s adventures from when the water level starts rising and submerging everything to when the flood (or so it seems to me) finally subsides toward the end of the film.
Along the way, our clever and intrepid feline protagonist meets other animals, some becoming allies and close friends: a bouncy yellow Lab, a stolid capybara, a mischievous lemur, and an aloof yet helpful secretary bird. Together, this motley crew navigates a waterworld where humans seem to no longer exist. They have fun times, fight, make up, and overcome hiccups in their journey with nary a single word uttered or assistance from a single human being.
As the film progressed, I felt something was different. About a quarter of the way through, I realized what it was: Aside from being devoid of dialogue, the animals are not anthropomorphized. They don’t speak, sing, dance, or do anything remotely human. This aspect taken, Flow is a complete anti-thesis to your usual Disney and Pixar fares—and it feels refreshing. Instead of making the film a snooze fest, however, the lack of auditory distractions further enrich the film, allowing viewers to focus more on the characters.
Filmmaker and animator Gints Zilbalodis’ courage to do away with a more bombastic, merch-friendly plot and characters makes him worthy of that Oscar. The lack of dialogues and catchy tunes allows viewers to empathize more with the animals as they struggle to survive a cataclysmic flood. They do survive, relying on their own instincts and the unexpected camaraderie they share with one another. Their growth—from wide-eyed fear to unflappable confidence—is a joy to watch and is every step of the way believable. I found myself rooting for our furry (and one feathery) heroes, with my heart sinking every time they encounter a near-death moment and rejoicing whenever they overcome an obstacle.
On top of the seamless storytelling is the majestic animation. Flow’s visuals have got to be among the best I’ve seen in recent years. The characters seem like paintings come to life, and the backdrops are near ethereal and almost hypnotic. This is an impressive feat considering that Flow was created using Blender, a free, open-source graphics software tool using computer generated animation, and on a rather slim budget of US$3.7 million. I’m happy to report that despite financial constraints and lack of marketing power compared to animation juggernauts, the film grossed a decent US$20 million at the box office, and is now the highest grossing film in its native Latvia.
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My only (very minor concern) is that despite being what is generally a kid-friendly film, Flow can be a bit too scary for very young children, especially those with a deep affinity for animals. Some critics seem to share the same observation. This doesn’t take away, though, from the majesty of this film that now ranks among my all-time favorite animated flicks, side by side the likes of Hayao Miyazaki’s and Makoto Shinkai’s works.
I came into the film knowing next to nothing about its plot or the country from whence it came. I came out of it feeling hopeful about the future of animation. It also made me think that a world devoid of humans could be a much better world after all.
Watch it, I urge you, and you’ll thank me for sure.
Watch the trailer here:
