I am trying to catch up on some of the Netflix films that have come out in 2023 now that the year is coming to an end. I have a couple of animated films to kick off today. 

Starting off, I watched Nimona, which I had heard could be one of the nominated Oscar movies this year. I can see why.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, “When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem — who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc — for Ballister to clear his name once and for all, and for Nimona to… just wreak serious havoc.“

The relationship between Ballister and Nimona is the strength behind this movie. They have such a wonderful connection and their lives intersected beautifully.

The animation of the movie was gorgeous, creating a great visual storytelling part of the film. The design of Nimona and her shapeshifting abilities are creative and original. Then, every time you think the story was going in a specific direction, it went differently. 

Riz Ahmed and Chloë Grace Moretz do a wonderful job creating their characters and building the connection between them. It is because of the connection that they build in the first part of the movie. 

The message of the movie was fairly straightforward though there is another theme that is more subtle too.

Nimona was an excellent animated movie that is available on Netflix. It is certainly worth the time to watch.

4.4 stars