Although it comes from a fairly unknown animation studio in Dream Well Studio, writer/director Gints Zilbalodis’ Flow has already significantly impacted this awards season. After receiving continuous praise from critics throughout various festival appearances, Flow now makes its way into the first major awards race of the season – the Best Animated Feature category of the Golden Globes. And, after seeing it, its success and accolades are very warranted. 

The film follows a black cat as it’s forced to survive and travel alongside unlikely companions after a tsunami causes most of the land to be submerged underwater. Flow is a unique type of viewing experience as it features no dialogue whatsoever outside meows and animal noises. Initially, it’s a choice that can take some getting used to and causes early concerns of minimal story direction that aren’t quelled quickly. To be honest, the lack of plot guiding can lead to too much aimlessness that makes the more calming, slower parts of the film really drag. However, it’s a choice that generally works in the film’s favor and allows audiences to connect deeper with the grounded atmosphere and characters at hand. 

While there are visually striking fantastical elements seen throughout this cat’s adventure, Flow maintains a sense of realism that’s comforting yet terrifying at times. For any animal lover out there, it’s super easy to connect with this cat and really all the animals it meets along the way through their behavior. Despite the dangerous situation around them, it’s always interesting and kind of funny to see them resort to their day to day antics. Whether it’s the cat’s inability to resist knocking something off a ledge or a ring-tailed lemur hoarding things for itself, there’s a natural depiction of these animals that viewers will really enjoy. Plus, the visual designs for these animals are remarkably adorable thanks to the film’s unique style of 3D animation that allows for stunning color contrasts and jaw-dropping wide shots of the vast forest/open water settings.

The central animals of Flow wrap themselves around your heart in no time – which makes their harrowing adventure so much more intense. With death and danger looming at every turn, Flow is a surprisingly gripping watch that’ll leave viewers breathless and completely on-edge. Every instance of the water rising or the cat falling out of the boat into the open sea instantly pulls at your heartstrings and can even leave people on the verge of tears. It’s a great reflection of the film’s unique way of building an emotional connection with audiences through grounded familiarity and expressive animation. The stronger focus on facial and tonal expressions really makes you understand every instance of fear, care, and curiosity these characters go through. Not only does it make the tender and tense moments they share more impactful, but it makes the film’s themes of found family so much more powerful. 

Flow features a thematic power that catches you off-guard because it doesn’t present itself right away. At first, the film simply seems like a small survival tale of a cat trying to keep its head afloat. Then though, as it meets other animals and gains a wider perspective on this newly drowned world, the film’s bigger picture and even the title take shape. It’s incredibly warming to see characters that seem unimportant gain greater importance as it gives new meaning to the film’s title outside its watery hazard. Flow is all about the people, or in this case animals, who come in and out of our lives playing formative roles that make us who we are and keep us safe. It’s a theme that really becomes something remarkable in the final stretch  as the group deals with a potentially fatal hardship that’s absolutely gutting to watch unfold. Honestly, it’s hard not to leave the film a little misty-eyed by the unlikely bonds that are created in this adventure, and it’s a testament to the simplistic yet connective power that’s established in this narrative. 

All the credit and praise Flow has received is completely earned by the strong animation, storytelling, and heart it embodies that make it not only one of the best animated films of the year, but also one of the most original in recent memory. 

Watch the Trailer Here: