By Jack Ransom - October 22, 2024
A French/Belgian/Latvian animated film that has been receiving critical acclaim on the festival circuit. Flow follows Cat, a solitary animal, whose home is washed away by a devastating flood. He finds refuge on a boat populated by various species and will have to team up with them despite their differences.
As an owner of a personality filled, rebellious, playful black cat, the trailer for this immediately brought a huge grin to my face and I thankfully managed to pounce on a ticket on the last day of London Film Festival. It was worth the trip, as Flow is an absolute gem that stands out from the crowd with its undeniably adorable cast of animal wonders at the forefront, stunning, mysterious and fantastical visuals, as well as an almost zen-like approach to storytelling. Its charm and creativity glides overhead of its narrative shortcomings.
The aforementioned shortcoming is the film’s somewhat sudden ending and due to the feature being dialogue-less, there are some noticeable moments of repetition in the structure and encounters. Really though, these are minor quibbles, as the atmosphere and vibrant, nature loving excitability of its existence shines through. The film seamlessly balances genuine peril (the gargantuan wall of water that descends upon Cat and anytime one of the crew falls overboard), awe-inducing scale and beauty (the mythically giant whales and colourful fish that trail the boat) and genuine care and heartfelt moments as the ragtag group of species grow to care for one-another despite their annoyances leading to chuckle worthy bickering and slapstick.
The art style is genuinely stunning. The lighting, motion of the water, the nuances and realism of the animal inhabitants that accentuate their personalities (from Cat’s all round good nature, Lemur’s snappy shiny object addiction, the dopy yet loveable Labrador and the authoritative Capybara & Bird), you really sense their bond and simultaneously the realism within what is a wholly original feeling world, that both incorporates fantastical vastness and heightened realism. The sound design is meticulously crafted, from every chirp, bark, purr and squeak to the creaking boat, lapping water, and oftentimes echoing silence.
Flow is a unique, beautifully animated, wholesome easy viewing adventure that coasts along its short runtime. The animal antics are wholesome, the stunning backdrops and immersive sound design make it a must watch on the big screen and essential viewing for all cat lovers!
FLOW IS COMING SOON TO CINEMAS
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