'Flow' is a Brilliant Kids Film About The End of the World
What a year for animated films. Inside Out 2 was one of those rare sequels that doesn't surpass the original but does a good job making its footing. The Wild Robot may be one of the most acclaimed animated films from America I've seen in years. Right when I thought I could make an easy decision for the best animated film of the year, a little film from Latvia comes roaring behind the lovable Wild Robot with Flow. It's a film I did not expect, and I loved every minute of it.
Flow is a movie with a simple plot that digs deep with allegories the kids might not understand. Its story is beautiful, with a structure that kept me hooked. Hopefully, it would hold my attention as the movie has a short running time—below an hour and a half. Flow's plot flows almost seamlessly. What's at stake in the film is the world. When the movie starts, a Cat is chased by a gang of Dogs. Already, certain boundaries are established. Cats eat fish, and Dogs don't get along with cats. Dogs have their piece of land, while the Cat has theirs. Soon, that's all about to change when the world comes to an end. A massive flood raises the water to catastrophic degrees, decimating anything that can't float. Soon, our Cat has no place to go to. To survive, she must team up with a group of different animals, from dogs to capybaras, to Secretarybirds, and a ring-tailed lemur.
The flood sequence is pretty spectacular, as it's all done in a single take, which adds a great deal of tension to each flood scene. There is not one but multiple floods in this film. From the first flood, we see the water levels rise above a statue's head, engulfing the forest underwater. That flood sequence is already pretty scary. Not because of how well it's shot but as a reminder that we may not be around for long. The film feels like it's an updated Land Before Time where, instead of seeing the extinction of Dinosaurs, we're watching the extinction of humanity. All who will be left are the animals we love and the bugs we squash.
Despite being in separate pacts, the cats, dogs, and birds work together to stay alive. They couldn't survive individually. The animals had to get out of their comfort zones to live in a new world. If you haven't guessed by now, the film is an allegory for global warming. If we don't act responsibly as a species, we will all die. Is there any hope humanity can move heaven and earth to come to a consensus that will require us to make small changes to the way we live? If COVID was an indicator of how well things would go, it's unlikely we'll work together to save ourselves. As a general population, some good people are misguided. If we could overcome our bigotry, maybe, just maybe, there's hope.
Flow is a heartbreaking film that has the undercurrents of not political but humanitarian commentary brought to us ironically by a group of nonspeaking animals. The entire film is silent. If not for its stellar sound design, the film wouldn't have the impact that it did. I don't know how many variations of meows or barks the sound editor had to go through to find the right ones, but I could imagine it was a lot. The sound of the breaking trees and the huge rumble the flood gives is fantastic. If this movie isn't nominated for best sound and best sound editing, it will be a travesty.
The film is also beautiful stylistically. It doesn't have the same bells and whistles as a big-budget Hollywood production, but it has its own unique charm. The animation style is a blend of high-engine video game graphics and cell-shaded characters, reminiscent of the aesthetics of games like Shadows of the Colossus, Ico, or The Last Guardian. This unique visual style adds to the film's appeal and sets it apart from other animated flicks.
When the movie ended, I didn't want it to leave so abruptly, as I was thoroughly enjoying it. For an animated film, it offers a glimmer of hope. I may not think there's much of a chance for humanity, but Co-Writer and Director Gints Zilbalodis may. Flow is an optimistic look of tribalism being broken for a universal attempt at survival. Hopefully, we won't come to that one day. Although it's made for kids, Flow is a call to action for the moms and dads out there to work together for a better, non-cataclysmic future for their children.
Flow opens in theaters nationwide on December 6th.
