User reviews

"Flow," the latest work from Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis, is one of those rare films that transcends the need for dialogue and speaks directly to the soul. With stunning visuals and a narrative that radiates humanity in a world devoid of humans, the movie is a testament to cinema's power to tell universal stories.

The plot follows a black cat, a solitary survivor on a post-human planet seemingly healing from humanity's scars. The feline's journey is both physical and symbolic: it must leave the safety of its island-marked by decayed monuments and submerged ruins-and embark on a voyage of collaboration and self-discovery. Watching the cat navigate this journey is a meditative and visually hypnotic experience, with Zilbalodis delivering sequences that oscillate between tranquil introspection and genuine tension.

One of the film's greatest strengths lies in its stylized animation. Unlike the hyper-realism often seen in Hollywood productions, "Flow" embraces a visual style that blends natural elements with graphic artistry. The interplay of light with the textures of water, foliage, and animal fur creates an effect that is simultaneously dreamlike and visceral. This approach immerses the audience in the film's world without feeling like a forced simulation of reality. Each scene feels like a living painting, meticulously composed yet retaining a sense of spontaneous wonder.

Narratively, the film adopts a simplicity reminiscent of a classic fable. The central metaphor-the need to abandon ego in favor of collectivity-is subtly woven throughout the story. As other animals join the cat on its boat, such as the sleepy capybara, the optimistic Labrador, and the restless lemur, the journey transforms into an exploration of coexistence. Each character is animated to reflect their unique traits, from the cat's sharp curiosity to the imposing bird's commanding presence. Their interactions-whether delicate gestures like sharing food or moments of conflict-form the emotional core of the story.

"Flow" takes a bold step by opting for a dialogue-free narrative, a choice that, for the most part, enhances the cinematic experience. While this approach may slightly soften the emotional intensity in certain scenes, it underscores the universality of the story and lets the visuals take center stage. The film's symbolism, such as the recurring image of the animals' reflections on the water, is both striking and accessible, offering straightforward interpretations while inviting deeper exploration of its layers.

The score, composed by Zilbalodis in collaboration with Rihards Zalupe, is another standout element. Minimalist and atmospheric, it perfectly complements the film's richly detailed soundscape. The sporadic use of music, rather than constant accompaniment, heightens the impact of silence, creating an immersive and meditative experience.

Ultimately, "Flow" is a meditation on our connection to the natural world and to one another. Without words, it conveys the importance of seeing ourselves as part of something greater, accepting that our impact on the world is shaped by how we interact with it and those around us. As we face an uncertain future filled with climate crises and existential challenges, "Flow" offers a hopeful message: life persists, adapting and flowing like a river carving new paths among the stones.

This is a film that demands patience and contemplation, but it generously rewards those who allow themselves to be carried by its current. It's a work not just to be watched but to be felt-one that reflects the best of what we are capable of as humans.

An incredibly beautiful film. Goosebumps. Tears. A unique concept, without words but with dialogue. With sounds and music that make your heart beat faster.

For the first time ever, I sat and couldn't get up when the credits started rolling. I had to focus on them for a moment to see who made this magic happen, and to blink away emotions from my eyes. Even the team's dogs are mentioned in the credits. And then suddenly, a surprise - another scene after the credits!

Now I feel like reading everything that I can find about the film, getting stills as my desktop and phone wallpaper, and have just ordered their Cat t-shirt.

This is a masterpiece that I can't wait to see again!

Contrary to what one might expect from an animation film like this, this is not the one where animals can speak and magic happens. It looks and is very realistic and still remains magical; all without a single word.

The main character is a black cat, who witnesses the beginning of a natural disaster and tries to save its life by being a cat and going with the flow. The story is reminiscent of the biblical Noah's Arc, only without us humans, although the traces of our earlier presence are clearly seen.

With the cat and the other characters we flow and get mesmerized by the skillfully animated beautiful planet Earth and a little bit beyond it.

P. S. Remember to stay through the credits: there's a wonderful surprise at the end!

Bravo everyone! Show to the Hollywood how it's done!

Such a beautiful story - no words, no explanation - so liberating!

Liberating from "someone else's burden", as Nietzsche would say.

Liberating from imposed narrations.

Liberating from expectations.

Mind goes "Oh, it's a modern interpretation of Noah's Ark" - no it's bloody NOT! - "But what happened, why are they...?" - it doesn't matter!

"Is the end of the world shown?" - No, it's not.

It's just an excerpt of some situation, some flood, somewhere, sometime - experienced through the eyes of certain creatures - and VERY beautifully depicted in this fantastic film.

With not a word uttered, time flies by as you witness this rollercoaster of an adventure. Unexpectedly, this was a very moving, emotional and engaging film.

The world of the story is similar to ours but it is devoid of humans. The Cat leads a happy life in what looks like a forest house, when the world is swept up by a gigantic flood. What follows is the tale of fighting against extreme odds as the Cat learns to rely on others for survival and to grow to care about his unlikely companions.

Masterful story telling and character development meet profound empathy and clear themes, this film is for everyone. Moving and uplifting. Absolutely loved it!

Get ready to be utterly captivated. Flow, the 2024 animated film, isn't just good, it's an instant classic, a landmark achievement that will be talked about for years to come. This isn't hyperbole, it's a simple truth. Flow is a breathtaking journey that will touch your heart, ignite your imagination, and leave you in absolute awe.

From the very first frame, the film's visual splendor grabs you. The animation is nothing short of revolutionary, seamlessly blending traditional techniques with cutting-edge technology to create a world that feels both familiar and fantastical. Every detail, from the subtle textures of fur to the luminous glow of a twilight sky, is meticulously crafted, drawing you into a vibrant and immersive experience. This is animation as high art, pushing the boundaries of the medium to create something truly extraordinary.

But Flow isn't just a pretty face. Beneath its stunning visuals lies a story that is equally compelling. The plot, which follows a young cat separated from his family in a flood, a group of unlikely animal friends on an epic adventure, is both simple and profound. It tackles universal themes of resilience, the importance of home, the power of friendship with a deft touch, avoiding heavy-handedness while still packing an emotional punch. You'll find yourself instantly invested in the characters, their struggles, and their triumphs. The film manages to be both cute and incredibly moving. The characters are so well designed and they're hard to not love.

The film's cuteness factor is undeniable. The characters, with their expressive eyes and endearing quirks, are instantly lovable. Flow will be a family movie to remember. But this isn't a film that relies on saccharine sweetness. It's the imaginative world-building, the whimsical details, and the sheer joy of discovery that will enchant you. The film's heart-warming core is earned, emerging organically from the characters' journeys and the challenges they overcome.

In a sea of animated films, Flow stands tall. It is a masterpiece, a testament to the power of animation to transport us to other worlds and tell stories that resonate deeply. This is a film that will appeal to audiences of all ages, a cinematic experience that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Flow is not just one of the greatest animated films of the year; it's one of the greatest animated films of all time. Don't miss it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Flow is a beautifully made animated film that is without words. With the occasional animal sounds, it's almost a silent movie.

During my showing, we had kids and parents present, which was a first for me with this yearly film festival, where the usual is cinephile adults and students. But since this was more kid-friendly, it was intriguing to see how well the movie can keep them engaged without a word spoken. I would say it succeeded in most aspects. There was one kid who was locked in throughout the whole film and would often ask questions of his mother.

One of the things I appreciate about Flow is that it could have easily made the animals talk and hired famous people to voice them. I imagine Chris Pratt and Awkwafina would be available as they always are. But I'm glad they didn't.

Every animal has clear characteristics and personalities - communicated through posture, attitude, or character ticks. One is the leader type. The other is naive and childlike, or the other is sassy. I mean, it must be when telling a story.

Speaking of the story, the key conflict these animals face is a gigantic flood that takes over the land. There are plenty of suspenseful moments when it comes to the water, such as the rising water, and there isn't any space left to keep you above water. Or whenever one of the animals accidentally falls in, there's that worry of one of them drowning, and you're almost yelling for them to get back on.

With this flood, we don't know what year the film takes place. The only hints we are given of its time are man-made empty wooden boats that the animals jump on to avoid drowning. There are also houses, suggesting that humans are around, but we never see them. We are left with the animals, but like humans, they need each other to survive.

Overall rating: a beautiful, animated adventure and one of the most unique animated films of 2024. We are engaging with it much differently, which is without dialogue or humans, just us interrupting the story, the setting, and our critter characters.

Some kids won't click with it, but I know some will.

Flow is one of the most visually stunning and innovative animations I've ever seen. The film's no dialogue only enhances its storytelling, perfectly embodying the "show, don't tell" principle. From the start, it grips you with its emotional depth and remarkable world-building. The production design is nothing short of tremendous, creating a rich, immersive world devastated by a great flood.

The sound design plays a pivotal role, adding layers of realism to the film's events, making every moment feel visceral and alive. The film's ability to evoke deep emotion, especially for the animals, truly moved me - it had me in tears more than once. I also loved the use of shaky cinematography throughout the film, which gave the film an added sense of urgency and rawness.

The original soundtrack is mysterious and perfectly suited to the film. It weaves tension, curiosity, and surprise into key moments, making the experience even more powerful. The cat, as the central character, carries the film effortlessly. The entire plot feels surreal, with the animals driven by survival instincts. Each animal's unique personality shines: the cat is naturally skeptical, the capybara serves as a gentle caretaker, the dog embodies a loyal golden retriever, the lemur is selfish and materialistic, and the bird feels like the cat's guardian angel.

The film's core theme is fear, which is explored beautifully through visual storytelling. Even with no dialogue, there's palpable drama and tension throughout, proving that words aren't necessary to convey deep emotional weight. The film is visually provocative, and the way it communicates complex emotions is brilliant.

The ending is wholesome and heartfelt, wrapping up a truly moving journey. I sincerely hope this film wins an Oscar, as it deeply touched me. Flow is a cinematic masterpiece, both emotionally and visually.

Flow is a wordless and surprisingly complete story of animal strangers becoming friends, becoming family after natural disaster strikes.

Like its namesake, the story flows naturally from one scene to the next, almost with the feel of a one-take film. The encounters are whimsical and can't help but bring a smile to your face as the idiosyncrasies of each character are brought out through strife. The action comedy is tasteful and funny in a way that doesn't betray the actual animal performances. It should be commended how much emotion and performance Zilbalodis got out of the animals without turning them into bonafide human performances. There is so much exposition, not said but discovered that give a mysterious and somewhat intellectual tone. The art direction is great with plenty of saturated colors and detailed backgrounds.

It's a small wonder a film like this can get made on a shoestring budget of 3.5m euro. I'd like to say that I didn't notice, but this lack of funds really shows itself in the faster moving action sequences. The animation can be a little choppy during these, and the gravity physics looks a bit odd at times when various characters jump. Moreover, the forest backgrounds are rendered on a 2D plane like a video game from the 2000s adding to the somewhat cheap feel.

Despite a somewhat slow start, Flow completes itself in a satisfying and whole way.

... because there is no explanation of what is happening whatsoever. There is no narration. The animals do not talk and there are no human characters. All you know is what you see for yourself. It's like a silent film in that regard - You must pay attention to the entire thing.

A cat lives alone in a world devoid of humans. There are signs of past civilization all around - entire cities, amphitheaters, statues, and even a huge statue of a cat that looks like an idol. The cat lives in a house that has the signs of past human habitation all around - there are drawings and models that indicate that whoever lived in the cat's house built the cat statues and was planning to build more.

But then a flood comes one day and the waters rise so high that practically everything is underwater. In this situation a boat comes along and the cat finds himself adrift in that boat with a capybara, a lemur, a dog, and a secretary bird. The boat really isn't adrift though, as all of the animals know how to steer the boat.

One of the more unique things about it is that the creators had the brilliant idea to set the anthropomorphization for the non-human characters to about 25%, instead of the usual 75-100% where the characters might as well be humans in animal costumes. The characters' behaviors in Flow feel entirely natural for their species -- It's just that their intelligence has been enhanced enough to allow them greater self-reflection and interspecies communication. It's all a very refreshing take versus Disney and Pixar films.

This world the film inhabits seems to be a post-human one, but I wonder. My read is that at some point shortly before the events of the film, humans became animals. The human owner of the sculptor's cottage didn't disappear. The cat is the sculptor. Also note how, before the flood, the cat wanders during the day, but at night comes home to the sculptor's house and sleeps in a human bed - the kind of thing that humans do. But that's my take. You decide.

Impressive independent animation from Latvia, wordlessly telling the story of a bunch of animals working together to help each other survive after a cataclysmic flood.

The movement of the animals and depiction of the natural world is stunning and incredibly lifelike, although the animals look strangely blocky and unfinished up close, as if they ran out of funding to finish off adding details such as fur.

The selfless behaviour of some of the animals often seems too far-fetched to buy into, and seeing them competently steer a boat to harbour seems similarly hard-to-swallow. On top of that, the story seems a little too vague and unmoored from a followable narrative, meaning some of the environments they pass through look like little more than video game levels, dreamt up to look nice but not communicating anything meaningful about the wider world in which they are situated.

For all this, the immersive details and sheer FLOW of the film just about makes up for these shortcomings and carries one along in its wake, engrossed and entertained, to the end. Well worth a watch.

I was so ready to love "Flow" when stepping into the movie theater, but after the credits rolled I was very disappointed. I don't think I've looked anywhere but the movie screen more than during this movie. The visuals and animation were nice, outstanding for an indie movie, but that's basically where my good points end.

The movie's whole selling point, but also arguably it's biggest weakness is it's complete lack of dialogue. I know it would be silly if the animals talked in this mostly realistic movie, but for me personally, a movie without dialogue is like... I can't really make a comparison, but a big element of a movie is missing.

I like movies where there's a character I can relate to, but in this movie there really isn't. The animals sometimes act too human-like, but don't talk, because they're not humans. They're animals.

My next point is ironically the "flow" of this movie. It feels very stretched out, and the whole story can be made into a childrens' book with a sentence per page. Or, even better, it can be made into a short movie. In 20 minutes, all of the story can be told, but without so much filler. This movie would've worked FANTASTICALLY as a 20-30 minute short-movie, but they had to make it into a feature length movie. A feature length movie filled with no dialogue and just animal characters is kind of boring. I couldn't tell when the story was moving forward and when it wasn't.

The only saving grace of this movie was the animation. The animals were animated very realistically and well, and the environments were also very pretty. I could see that they cut corners in some minor scenes, though that I can forgive, because this movie is still a big stepping stone for indie animation.

TLDR; The movie has pretty visuals and animation, but is just boring, and would've worked better as a short-movie rather than a feature length film.

The world today isn't exactly something that gives you hope for the future.

This movie is about a time when humans are (seemingly) gone. So in that way, it doesn't really give you hope either.

But...

Earth isn't just humans. It's full of animals that sometimes just live together in some sort of harmony. Granted. This movie makes it seem like it's so easy for them to live together across species. That part is somewhat silly. But the movie is done in a way that the animals are somewhat humanized. And the way they interact together gives me a bit of hope for earth. Not humans. Earth will be fine. As for humans, that remains to be seen.

But this movie is a small wonder that will make you smile and enjoy about 1½ hour of happiness.

"Flow" is a one-of-a-kind, captivating film that packs a lot of meaning into every scene. The film's striking visuals and heartfelt moments create a deep connection with the audience, pulling them into a journey of survival and quiet determination. The film's pacing allows the story to unfold naturally, making each scene feel significant without forcing emotions. It's a refreshing experience that showcases resilience in a subtle yet impactful way. The minimalist approach allows viewers to project their own interpretations onto the unfolding events, making it a highly immersive and personal journey. Its combination of visual beauty and emotional depth leaves a lasting impression.

To all those who are saying that the film is not made for children, I can only say that I feel sorry for you and your children. This is a film as real as the life of any domestic animal, and if you allow your child to interact with a cat or a dog, be sure that at some point you will have to talk about the range of feelings these beings have, which includes affection and togetherness, as well as fear and some conflicts. Not to mention the basic fact that one day they must cease being around us, which this film actually allows us to see in a profound, beautiful way.

You know, there is a lot more to learn about feelings and emotions beyond the dumb cognitive distortion of Disney cartoons, and It's a shame that even an adult watched this film and didn't learn this. I cannot address this enough: It's a spectacular film for the whole family.

Flow is like a feeling stretched into 90 minutes. The flooded world, the black cat, the strange beauty of it all-it pulls you in without trying too hard. I didn't realize how attached I'd get to the journey until I was halfway through, completely locked into its rhythm.

The animation is gorgeous in a simple, almost raw way. It's not about showing off, it's about making you feel like you're there. It doesn't tell you what to think. You just let it unfold, and somehow it feels personal.

By the time it ended, I sat there staring at the screen. If you want something unique that sticks with you, Flow is worth your time.

FLOW (2024) Nominated for both Best Animated Feature AND Best International Film.

An entrancing animated nature fable from Latvia's Gints Zilbalodis. A dialogue free adventure tale about a Cat who survives the next great flood. The Cat is rushed along with the water and comes across a number of other animals which persevere including a small 'herd' of sorts including an scavenging Lemur, a lazy Dog, a Secretary Bird which has lost its ability to fly, and a lumbering Capybara (rodent). The herd gets swept along and end up on a boat for a spell. The animals all have personality but aren't given anthropomorphism nor cutesy dialogue. They're just creatures trying to understand what in the world is going on. The sea, naturally, is teeming with life.

The animation was created by a free open source software (Blender), yet the filmmaker and his team do wonders with it. The blended design for the beasts may not be photo-realistic, but have a charming character of their own. The backgrounds are gorgeous and evocative.

Zilbalodis never gives a direct explanation for what is happening, but the lack of humans (and the deluge) certainly leads one to an ecological disaster. The most haunting visuals are the remnants of civilization: abandoned buildings, submerged and decaying structures and large man-made monuments to humanity and even cats! The parable is as powerful as it is simple. A society which can create magnificent technology, but is unable (or unwilling) to save the natural world around them. FLOW and its animals give a glimmer of hope.

A charming movie that I would definetly recommend to watch with a child (5+years). But it's also suitable for both large and small viewers.

It was very touching, instructive, interesting and thrilling. I definitely recommend watching this animation.

It had a very charming plot, following the path of animals, from events, challenges, even manages to bring tears to your eyes.

The soundtrack was also very well made, just amazing. I loved how it merged with the movie and followed the characters through out their journey!

I would gladly watch it again or recommend it to anyone! The Movie was amazing! :)

Flow by Gints Zilbalodis is a special and moving film that leaves a deep impression. The story, which revolves around survival, knows how to strike a strong emotional string with simplicity. The cat, the central character, forms a beautiful bond with a dog, a ring-tailed lemur, a capybara and a secretary bird along the way. Each of these animals has a unique character, which adds an extra layer to the emotions in the story that are recognizable and meaningful to us as viewers.

The choice to make a film without dialogues emphasizes image and sound, and in this case both aspects shine. Rihards Zalupe and Gints Zilbalodis deserve praise for the compelling score together with the subtle sound effects done by the sound department, which effortlessly convey atmosphere and tension.

Although the film is full of symbolism, it is nice to discover it yourself while watching. For those who are open to a visually and emotionally rich film without traditional elements such as dialogues, Flow is an absolute must. But if you can't enjoy movies without spoken words or stories that only contain animals as characters, then this may not be your movie.

HINT: Make sure you stay seated until after the credits. There is another surprising scene waiting!

While I am not into animation as a genre (simply not my cup of tea), this film is something out of the ordinary, it speaks volumes without a single word and is about the most important things in the world - the experience shared by everyone living. Survival, individual experience in the face of unknown, friendship, compassion, love, selfishness and selflessness, fear, living and dying and living again. It is a masterpiece and an ode to life without crossing the line of becoming too sentimental or pathetic. A story for all ages, every walk of life. Our entire family - children, adolescent and adults - is in complete awe about this movie.

A black cat lives all alone in an abandoned cabin in the forest. There are also many wild animals and a pack of dogs all living peacefully. But today something is wrong, there is a massive stampede of deer and right behind them is a mighty rushing flood of water. Cat flees back to the cabin and a yellow Labrador dog follows close behind. But the water rises quickly and the dog runs to higher ground. As the waters overtakes the island, Cat finally climbs to the highest point, an enormous cat statue.

Now water has reached the statue and cat is trapped with no escape. Then suddenly there is a small sailboat with a capybara in it. Cat jumps aboard and is saved. As they float through the forest, they are joined by a secretarybird, that becomes their leader, the yellow dog, and a ring-tailed lemur.

These five very different animals must help each other in order to stay alive.

Flow has a very surreal feel, like a dream. The animation is very stylish and almost looks real at times. There is no dialogue and no humans. I am not really sure of the time or place, just this group of unlikely animals coming together on a very strange journey of survival.

Flow is OK, but it really feels distant, incomplete and somewhat lost. Still worth the watch just for the beautiful animation.

It's pleasing visually once you get used to the lack of detail and the wonky movements of the animals, but it's not on par with Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, or even Illumination. Do people sincerely believe that its animation even begins to compare to these or are they simply overhyping an economical independent film out of frustration with perceived mediocrity from the major studios? Flow's animation should not be graded on a curve just because it was made for comparatively little money.

The representation of the animals did not work for me at all. They are anthropomorphic creatures throughout. At no point did the actions of the cat seem plausible to me as the actions of a real cat. This was my belief long before the cat demonstrated it knew how to press with its body weight on the tiller to turn the sailboat. There were frequent instances of animals altruistically saving animals of different species and miraculously knowing exactly how to do so. This isn't technically a flaw since I quite enjoy numerous films with talking animals. However, it irked me here since the film has no human dialogue and clearly seeks to create the illusion that these animals are behaving as animals actually would act. I found this highly disingenuous.

The script felt like the kind of overly simplistic thing someone would pen for a short film on YouTube. Gratefully, those films generally don't overstay their welcome to the degree that I felt this film does. At barely 80 minutes, I felt personally that the film was dreadfully slow given the almost complete absence of tangible characterization, themes, and plot.

"You dunce!" some of you may feel tempted to say. "It was clearly about the need for disparate groups to band together against the threat of climate change! How could you not understand that?"

To which, I respectfully ask, are you sure that the emperor is wearing clothes? We see animals riding out a flood on a boat together. That's essentially the whole film. You can really argue it's about a lot of different things because there's absolutely no way to disprove any interpretation of this film. I ask how you can say with any degree of certainty that it's not about how to regain one's innate abilities, react to trauma, and reach the spiritual state of "the clear" as taught by Scientology?

In terms of story beats, I really didn't understand what my vested interest was supposed to be in most of the interactions between animals. The animals were extremely limited in their ability to express emotions. It was really unclear, for example, when animals had good or bad intentions towards each other. Most people hate seeing animals suffer, so of course I can join them in rooting for the animals to avoid suffering. However, it was really unclear at numerous points what was going on or what the animals were attempting to achieve. A bird appears to offer the cat a fish, but was that truly intended as kindness or was something else entirely happening? Was that the same bird that ends up with them later, or was it one of the hundreds of birds the cat scurried its way through in a state of fright? There was no sense of purpose or progression to the entire film, just animals meandering around trying to survive and find food. This became uninteresting to me very quickly.

Do I think this was a terrible film then? No, but I have no idea why anyone would want to watch it for more than five minutes. It was somewhat pleasant and hypnotic at times to be sure. But it really didn't fulfill many of the expectations I have for a film. Call me a simpleton or whatever, but I would rather watch something with a clear narrative of some kind and clearer meaning and stakes. As it was, I don't see much difference between this and watching my cat chase a lizard up a tree. Actually, I would far rather watch the latter because I would be more emotionally invested in the outcome.