Wolfwalkers
2020 · Directed by Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
Original language: English
- animation
- family
- adventure
- fantasy
The story
In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
What it’s like
Hand-drawn animation with a painterly, woodcut-like texture: flat ochre and moss-green backdrops, ink-black outlines, and a grainy, slightly scratched finish that makes the Irish forests feel old and alive. Light comes through dense canopy in shafts, and the moon and firelight carry most of the night scenes. Fluid, sweeping camera moves through the trees give way to quiet stillness in the town's stone walls and wooden interiors. The score is folk-inflected, with fiddle, low strings and soft vocal melodies, and the forest sounds of wind, running paws and birdsong are rich and close. Its vibe is wild, tender and wondering, with a steady adventurous pulse that eases into moments of hushed awe. The tone is warm and earnest, shaped around a young girl and a feral friend slowly learning to trust each other across the lines their world has drawn. Violence is present but restrained: hunting scenes, tense chases and a few sharp, frightening moments, with no gore. It suits a family movie night or a rainy afternoon, and fits people who want a fairy-tale story of a stubborn friendship and a changing relationship with the wild.
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