I Kill Giants
Directed by Anders Walter
- fantasy
- drama
The story
Sophia, a new high school student, tries to make friends with Barbara, who tells her that “she kills giants,” protecting this way her hometown and its inhabitants, who do not understand her strange behavior.
What it’s like
Muted, slightly washed-out daylight fills the small-town interiors and sunlit woods of this film, with a palette of faded greens, dusty browns and cool blue shadows that makes ordinary streets feel quietly off-kilter. Camera work leans on handheld closeness when the central girl is anxious and drops into still, deliberate framing when the fantasy lens takes over, so the everyday and the imagined sit side by side. Hand-drawn touches and a soft, slightly textured digital finish keep the surface gentle, while the score is sparse and melodic, with long stretches of wind, birdsong and held silence. Its vibe is wistful and bewildered, a mix of brittle unease and tender hope, best suited to a grey afternoon or a late evening when you want something thoughtful rather than fast. The pacing is unhurried, and its emotional arc follows a prickly, isolated teenager gradually learning to trust a few people in the face of cruelty. Intensity is moderate: there is bullying, social cruelty and emotional distress, and fantastical danger that is more threatening than gory, with no sexual content. It suits viewers who want a poignant, sincere story about loneliness and courage, and who can sit with some sadness without it turning bleak.
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