Flow (2024)

Usually I don't put up reviews for things this recent/popular, but this is now an Academy Award winner so it is officially old news but also I think maybe most people haven't heard of it? This tale of animals trying to survive rising waters is fan-flippin'-tastic. An achievement in animation and animal/wordless storytelling. I am in awe of the way they managed to create a story and characters without forcing human characteristics or traditional plotting on these animals. Other than the central conceit of the animals steering the sailboat it very rarely cheats their intelligence or behavior beyond real animals, yet it still manages to be beautiful, sad, sweet, funny, exciting, and dramatic. 

At the very beginning, the first dog sees the cat and looks excited, curious, and confused. I noticed it doesn't really seem to know what to do until the rest of the pack see the cat and start barking and chasing in it. Then it turns out that few seconds of the dog not seeing the cat as prey sets up a whole relationship for the rest of the movie, with slowly building trust as they travel together and then tensions as they repeatedly encounter the rest of the pack. 

There are bunches of little moments like that that slowly recur and accrue until they form set ups and pay offs, emotional arcs, and changes of heart, all in a natural, flowing way. And in the end, it tells a story humans need to hear about looming environmental disaster and the need to come together and overcome differences and conflicts to survive. Yet it never feels forced, faked, or sappy. 

If these were human characters with dialogue, we would get too hung up on their words and beliefs. They would assign blame for the disaster, squabbling over what was done in the past and what should be done in the future, and the audience would look for the arguments that align with our thoughts or opinions. By stripping all the baggage of words, history, and culture from these characters they show us that survival is what matters most. That requires trust, kindness, sacrifice, community, and dealing with the smaller conflicts that will inevitably arise from those things, because the rising waters are a much bigger problem. Incredible stuff.

I am really happy that computer animation both as a medium and what is considered marketable are growing and maturing. Some people are finally moving on from the fetishization of realism, detail, and chasing Pixar that leads to so many bland movies. The animals in Flow have a stylized, simple brushstroke kind of texture, yet their movements and the writing/directing behind them make them far more impressive and memorable than photo-realistic lions with thousands of fur strands awkwardly mouthing celebrity voices that took 10-20 times more money and people to produce.

Watch this movie, y'all. Unless you literally hate animals or have severe aquaphobia this is a rare universal recommendation for all ages and tastes.

It is currently streaming on Max (formerly known as HBO Max but the HBO was too classy for Warner-Discovery) or for digital rental or "purchase" where ever you choose to do that. Criterion will be putting it out on 4k, blu-ray, and DVD disc later this year. I am waiting to buy a physical copy that can't be removed from my collection by Amazon or Apple if some license expires or they feel like it.