Savages (2024)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- In Borneo, at the edge of the tropical forest, Kéria (voice of Babette De Coster) is given a baby orangutan. With the forest under greater threat than ever, Kéria, Selaï (voice of Martin Verset) and the little primate, Oshi (voice of Charles de Ville), will have to face many obstacles.
- Directors:
- Claude Barras
- Producers:
- Nicolas Burlet
- Voiced By:
- Nicolas Buysse, Karim Barras, Babette De Coster, Benoît Poelvoorde, Gaël Faye, Hannah Boudreau, Nessa Staes, Pierre-Isaie Duc, Martin Verset, Laetitia Dosch, Michel Vuillermoz, Sailyvia Paysan, Nelly Tungang, Ingrid Heiderscheidt, Komeok Joe, Charles de Ville
- Writers:
- Claude Barras, Nancy Huston, Morgan Navarro, Catherine Paillé
- Aka:
- Sauvages / You're Not the One I Expected
- Genres:
- Anime & Animation, Children & Family
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Reviews (1) of Savages
The Orangutan Agenda - Savages review by griggs
Beautifully crafted and politically charged, Savages certainly has ambition. Set in the rainforest, it follows two eco-activists who, along with a rescued baby orangutan, join forces with an Indigenous tribe to resist a brutal corporate land grab. The stop-motion animation is detailed and immersive—mud-slicked, mossy, and rich with atmosphere.
But for all its visual strength and good intentions, the story feels a bit too didactic. Characters often come across as mouthpieces, and the plot unfolds in a rather straight line, with little room for emotional complexity or surprise. Its message is vital, yes, but delivered with a heavy hand.
There are moments of charm and even some unexpected laughs, and Barras’s distinctive visual style remains compelling. Still, compared to his earlier My Life as a Courgette—a film that balanced depth and delicacy—this feels more like a well-meaning statement than a fully realised story. Worth seeing, but not quite stirring.