Flow - Review

It has been a long time waiting for Flow in the UK, despite being nominated for a BAFTA, as well as taking home Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. However, it is well worth the wait. The film, which was entirely made on a free to use software is a charming, sweet and endearing endeavour. Whilst the Latvian film has no spoken dialogue, it will definitely be one of the most captivating films of the year.

Flow has a pretty simple setup. It is about a cat living on his own in a post-apocalyptic forest. A feral world, with cat statues mounting over the landscape. Sprawling around the forest the cat catches the eye line of a pack of dogs and has to swiftly escape the danger of the chasing predators. However, a flood comes gushing in, taking both the cat and his adversaries off their feet. The film then follows his adventure in this sudden new terrain, with the statues now only just peeking out the floodwater.

There is a Lord of the Flies feel to Flow. It is a film of survival and miscommunication. With no mutual language, each character is apprehensive and overly sceptical about potential dangers. It is a feral landscape where death’s door could be around any corner, and the strengths and weaknesses of each animal feel unfair at times.

The film is also clearly dealing with the themes of environmentalism, as the animals deal with the consequences of things that they have not impacted. For instance the cat has to leave his home and live on a ship to survive the dangers of the flood water. However, it is only a subtle and light touch that complements the other themes of teamwork, kindness and compromise. Flow is truly a film for everyone, with exciting moments for children and underlying thematic intelligence for an older audience.

Whilst it can be a little episodic at times, it is a grand achievement, the film is a visual marvel, that feels gorgeous to look out despite having an almost early CGI look to its aesthetic. It is phenomenal that this film was made on a free, easy access software, and opens the door to aspiring animators moving forward. But it is also an endearing, heartfelt and pertinent thematic storytelling, with the synergy between these two arms of filmmaking providing an excellent picture.