Flow
Entry updated 4 May 2026. Tagged: Film.
Latvian, French and Belgian animated film (2024; original Latvian title Straume). Dream Well Studio, Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five. Directed by Gints Zilbalodis. Written by Gints Zilbalodis and Matīss KaŽa. 85 minutes. Colour.
Flow won both the "Best Animated Feature" at the 97th Academy Awards and the "Best Animated Feature Film" at the 82nd Golden Globes Awards. Zilbalodis has said that Future Boy Conan (1978) was an inspiration (as well as Jacques Tati – the film has no dialogue).
A dark grey Cat wanders through a forest, interacting with a pack of domestic Dogs, before returning to a deserted house where it is caught in a flash flood. Previously a sculptor's home, the surroundings are decorated with cat statues, including an enormous one overlooking the forest, onto which the cat climbs, but the rising waters engulf the valley then the sculpture: a whale surfaces, and will reappear on occasion. An old sail boat passes by and the cat leaps aboard, to find its only occupant is a capybara. Shortly after they are joined by a ring-tailed lemur that collects relics of humanity (such as bottles and a glass fishing float) and is fascinated by a mirror; later a labrador (one of the previously seen dog pack) and a secretary bird (expelled from its flock when it protects the cat) also come aboard. The cat dreams of being closely circled by a herd of deer.
Another boat is met, this containing several lemurs wearing human items as accessories (such as a saucepan lid hat); our crew then come to a flooded City, finding the rest of the dog pack, who join them. A group of immense stone pillars are often seen towering in the background – the boat reaching them as a storm hits: the cat falls overboard and swims to one of the pillars. Steps spiral to its peak, which is flat and cut with circular carvings (perhaps echoing the movement of the deer in the cat's dream); the cat runs to the top to find the secretary bird already there, seemingly experiencing an epiphany. Gravity pauses and the bird and cat ascend towards a sun-like swirl of light above them – the cat goes only a short way before descending, but the bird enters and disappears, then the swirl does too. As the cat tries to swim back to the boat the sea level drops dramatically (seeming to drain underground), exposing the forest once again.
The lemur is with its accessorized fellows, but on seeing the cat stares reflectively into the mirror, then joins it; they find the rest of the crew in the boat, stuck in a tree about to collapse into a chasm. A rescue is undertaken, during which a rabbit runs by and the dogs, except for the labrador, pursue it. Later the cat finds the whale stranded, still alive; looks are exchanged. The dog, lemur and capybara join the cat and all four stare at their reflections in a pool. The film ends, apart from a brief glimpse of a whale in the sea after the end credits.
The whale is of an unfamiliar species, having tentacle-like protrusions. The house contains what is either a cylinder phonograph or very old record player, complete with horn, which is the most modern Technology on view: away from the house most other signs of humanity – such as the flooded city – seem older. As no people are seen, a feeling of Ruins and Futurity is conveyed by the city and pillars – though whether this is a Post-Holocaust Earth is unclear. There might have been a previous Disaster, but the secretary bird's fate could suggest Transcendence; though a Religious interpretation is possible – there is, after all, a flood – this does not appear to be a Rapture scenario due to the lack of sinners left behind, whilst animals tend to be excluded from such experiences. The four central animals, though their behaviour is very much of their species, understand how to use a rudder to steer; whilst the mirror and their staring at their reflections is clearly significant – presumably intended to denote a heightened sense of self-awareness and Intelligence. If this is Uplift, there is no indication that the cause is science. Matters of Perception might also apply.
Though leaving most questions unanswered, Flow is an impressive work, with the lack of dialogue conveying a dream-like mood; its themes include the importance of cooperation and trust (but also, in the case of the labrador, independence). The animation, which uses Blender 3D software, has a few weak moments, but is usually excellent. Flow can be considered an animation classic: its awards are fully deserved. [SP]
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