A cat, a dog, a capybara, and a lemur, rendered with open-source software, embark on an animated over-water adventure in a beat-up boat. Oh, and a secretary bird flies in, too.
Director Gints Zilbalodis eschews anthropomorphizing the critters, allowing them to be real animals in the dialogue-free FLOW. Their personalities perfectly reflect the movements and behaviors of each species.
The story is told from the POV of the cat, a lithe, curious feline who jumps from one near-death experience to the next. The secretary bird is an outlandishly articulated and less jovial member of the tribe. Meanwhile, the capybara Zenfully approaches each foible. Surprisingly, the dog, a golden lab, is as friendly and, well, as dumb as the breed often is. But always full of affection and energy. The lemur is a tightly wrapped, hoarding excentric whose treasures roll along the bottom of the boat. Each of them, catering to their instincts, is unintentionally and authentically funny.
FLOW is not a children’s movie. It is full of intense danger, dragging the viewer into the peril. The cadre of friends adventure through some of the most beautiful landscapes rendered. A spiritual thread FLOWing through the movie rises this work of art above the genre. Easily one of my favorite movies of the year.
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