Rent Flow (2024)

Whilst it's ingenuity & creativity with it's small budget is admiral, overall a fairly average film - Flow review by Timmy B

Flow was a film which, from the second I heard about it, was garlanded with praise and 5-star reviews. It was called a masterpiece, with praise especially for the fact it was created by a small team of Latvian, Belgian & French animators with a minimal budget on free-to-use software. This was then solidified when it won the Oscar for Best Animated Film. After seeing all of these achievements, as well as always being interested in small-budget films, I rented it. And whilst I absolutely give it credit for its storytelling, it is by no means the home run which it has been portrayed as.

Flow (which has no dialogue, features no humans and only has the noises of the animals portrayed,) follows a black cat who lives a basic and easy life within the forest. It has a warm bed to sleep on at night and, despite us never glimpsing its owner, seems well-fed and cared for. One day, whilst out walking, it is caught in the middle of a natural disaster and swept away by a catastrophic tsunami which throws the feline together with a number of other animals including a lemur, golden retriever and secretarybird. Despite the clash between them, they end up on a large boat navigating the terrain together.

In terms of originality, there is not much of it to be found here. An animated story featuring a group of animals working together is almost as old as time. There is however good work in showing the audience, through the basic reactions of the animals, the lowering of guards as well as starting to trust and work together. As someone who also loves cats, I felt that the animation captured the attitude of cats well, with our furry protagonist going from playful to angry to scared to curious seamlessly. Music-wise, there is a basic score which compliments the action well.

I think one of the reasons why this film was reviewed & awarded so highly was due to its comments on global warming and rising sea levels. The way this is done, showing the affects on animals, not humans, speaks to a different part of ourselves. And the scenes of the animals fighting against and battling the awesome power of nature are absolutely moving. But for me, it just didn’t have the impact that say The Day After Tomorrow did.

I absolutely give it credit for its simple story, but it is no more than a 3 star film for me.

A Story of Survival and Realisation - Flow review by GJ

Flow features exquisite artwork and animation and brings to life brave and relatable beings. It is a film of many meanings, and for me, it is about surmounting your fears and reaching out for your dreams but always being aware of the reality that surrounds you.

A modern classic and deserving of its accolades.

Nice watch and quite moving but too long. - Flow review by MD

Animation, no speech. A black cat and a group of other animals survive a flood. Cute but very dark in places. Not suitable for young children, I wouldn't have thought.

Heart warming - Flow review by HM

Lovely animation about a cat coping with a biblical flood and meeting other creatures along the way. Children and adults will enjoy I am sure. An antidote to the sometimes sugary Disney stuff but in keeping with the romance and quality of Japanese Ghibli at its best! Much recommended.

Pretty good, but not for small children - Flow review by LC

The film looks great, and it's hard to tell it's CGI with some of the scenes. The animals are convincing (mostly). My only concern is that although there's no death, it's quite harrowing at times, and probably not suitable for small children. An excellent animation though, makes a nice change from all the mainstream disney/pixar repetition.