“The best animation of this year”

Dir: Gints Zilbalodis

Prod: Gintz Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman

Writ: Gintz Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža

Flow is a French animated film about a cat who embarks on an adventure and meets some of his animal friends, including a golden retriever, a lemur, and a capybara. Flow is a unique movie—let me explain why. It’s an arthouse animation and an indie film, so its style is far from your typical animated movie.

The characters are also very simplistic: we have a black cat, a capybara, a golden retriever, and a secretary bird. Each character brings an emotional perspective to the story, and what makes them stand out is that they only make sounds—there are no voiceovers. This choice contributes to the film’s uniqueness. The writers and director have made all of the characters feel believable, and the fact that the protagonist is just a black cat who only makes noises doesn’t detract from the audience’s connection to him. In fact, his character feels relatable despite the lack of dialogue.

Visually, the film is stunning, especially the scene with the whale—it’s truly gorgeous. The most iconic moment is when the cat is underwater, surrounded by fish. It’s a magnificent, almost surreal spectacle.

At just 85 minutes long, the movie is a visual experience from start to finish. Despite the short duration, the pacing is fast, and the story unfolds quickly, making this movie an instant classic. You need to see it—it’s one of the best animated films of the year, and I promise you won’t be disappointed. It’s the kind of unique, original film we need. Go see it, and you’ll love it from beginning to end.

My rating: A+