Flow: Movie Review

Director Gints Zilbalodis

Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis' tale about a little black cat who finds itself caught up in a natural disaster will most likely break your heart into pieces - and then slowly piece it all back together.

Essentially a silent - and human-free - movie about survival and coming together, this potential commentary on refugees, climate change and acceptance wears its heart on its sleeve, but also holds back greatly from any levels of didacticism. Best experienced without any foreknowledge of what's to unfold, Flow is beautifully shot and distinguishes itself from most other animations thanks to a more painterly approach that blurs some of the animal outlines but gifts them their characteristics with ease.

While the cat finds itself on a rickety boat with a lemur that covets trinkets, a sleepy capybara, a large bird and a Labrador that just wants to be loved, the film's more interested in showing off the realities of coming together and species overcoming their differences.But it's not above its quirks either - from the cat's expressive eyes to some of the best use of animal sounds around, Flow is a thrillingly engaging family-friendly film that screams to be seen on the big screen.

Its score should not also be dismissed, with both vibrancy, urgency and menace conveyed by Rihards Zalupe and Gints Zilbalodis' work here. Certainly, in parts, the music helps put you through the wringer and lifts you when you least expect it.

Yet Flow is so successful because at its heart, it cares about its protagonists. In some ways the beats of the story are predictable, but what works for every single second on screen is how much you care about the characters. Whether it's due to being shot largely at the animal's level or whether it's the wonderfully expressive eyes of the cat, whose pupils widen in wonder and narrow in fear,
Zilbalodis and his team have skilfully captured every single animal's personality traits and transposed them on to the screen.

It may be tritely dismissed by some as a Homeward Bound style animal-led story, but Flow is much, much more than that. It's an emotive, soaring, immersive and engrossing movie that reminds you of the simple power of animation - it's distinctive and utterly enthralling.

This film is playing as part of the 2024 Whanau Marama New Zealand International Film Festival. For more details, visit nziff.co.nz