Flow

Silence speaks volumes in this beautiful animated film

Stunning animation and powerful metaphor drive the silent Flow

Cat is a solitary creature. It spends its days fishing by stream and climbing through the remnants of human life that remain on earth. It’s not a bad life, but when the stream’s water starts to rise, life becomes more complicated.

As the water engulfs Cat’s home, it sees a boat. Manned by a Capybara, the boat stops and offers Cat a safe place to be in the midst of the flood. The rest of the animals aboard include an inquisitive lemur who enjoys collecting trinkets left behind from the humans, a goofy Labrador retriever who just wants to befriend everyone while barking at them, and a prickly stork who just wants to be left alone.

Can this zoological crew survive the flood? Can Cat learn to accept his new family and go with the flow?

Some of the most profound things in cinema are said with silence. Whether it’s the long-suffering stare of Buster Keaton or the guileless actions of Jacques Tati (who inspired the filmmakers), there is a power in silence on the silver screen. Flow utilizes silence beautifully, allowing the animation to carry the metaphors and messages of the film as well as imbuing the animated characters with emotion. It’s a stunning piece of art, and one that should be seen by all aspiring animators.

Director Gints Zilbalodis crafts a hero’s journey that is captivating and a joy to study. Though it’s an animated cat film that’s under 90 minutes, Flow may be a little dry for smaller viewers [Editor’s Note: dogs of all varieties, however, appear enthralled by the film, as evidenced by the constant barking and pawing at the screen in our home]. The movie has a lot of metaphors to pick apart. One of the best parts of the movie is the discussion afterwards. In my home, three separate people had three separate reads on the film, all of which worked. Its simplicity allows for complex discussion and dissection.

And while the plot and metaphors are fun to discuss, it’s truly the animation that makes this film glorious. It feels like a Studio Ghibli film set in an Impressionist painting. The settings are lush and dense, the characters expressive and funny. It marries the cute and the awe-inspiring in a way that is satisfying and seamless. The world of Flow is a post-apocalypse. We see evidence of human life, including some sketches of Cat that imply he had an owner, or at least lived with a human for a time. Not surprisingly, nature and the world seem to be thriving with the absence of humanity, but interestingly (and likely telling), we don’t see Cat particularly mourning the loss of his human companion.

While Disney plays grave robber, digging up every bit of IP it owns and reanimating it into Franken-live-action nightmares, there are still original artists making unique works. Instead of throwing Disney more cash so they can give you 19 more sequels to Frozen, consider giving your money to Flow, an animated feature with beautiful aesthetics and something special to say.

Verdict: Powerful and visually arresting, this is a movie to appreciate.

Flow is rated PG and is available on your favorite streaming platform.