Nimona is a new Netflix Original movie with an excellent story, great visuals, a casual sense of humor, and a lesson that is vital in our current world.

Nimona’s visuals are great. This futuristic fantasy world and its characters are made up of these beautiful layered 2D colors, they look great against each other and complement the 3D animation as well. 

The animators put so much ambition and love into this film, and it shows. For instance, during the ending of a chase scene two characters ride off the side of a building, the camera or frame in this instance follows Nimona – a shapeshifter – as she runs through her different forms and falls. This is shot and animated in such a fun way you can feel the momentum and fun Nimona is having. 

The way the animators had the characters move ended up looking charming, there were multiple times when the nuances of the characters’ movements would put a smile on anyone’s face. Every character is incredibly visually distinct. Nimona will most times move erratically and agile in all forms, Ballister, a disgraced knight, walks in a more reserved manner but is still just as expressive as Nimona when he wants to be, and the Director of the Knights will walk tall and in charge. This distinct body language makes the characters feel a lot more alive, even when they aren’t talking. 

Due to spoilers and the very fact that the movie is very good, my words could never do justice to what is shown but I can only show my gratitude. 

I want to shed light on the storytelling. Nimona is about a Knight named Balister who is framed for the death of the queen, Nimona joins in on his efforts to clear his name and through those efforts we learn more about Nimona and how her shapeshifting connects to Gloreth´s tale. It is strong because the writers show us the interweaving complex relationship between Nimona and other characters, while also providing a sincere look into Nimona’s internal conflicts. What we witness is Ballister and Nimona’s dynamic and their attempt to clear his name. At first, Ballister finds Nimona a problem, she gets him into danger and will settle things through violence, but then after listening to Nimona talk, he learns to really respect Nimona.

After losing the knights through a subway station Balister and Nimona board a train, Balister tells her that life would be easier if she didn’t shapeshift. Nimona attempts to give him a fake backstory then reveals it’s fake and calls his question ignorant. This is done in a natural comedic way that I quite like. It shows that Nimona already knows who she is and won´t let anyone protest it.

In another scene Nimona tells Balister why she shapeshifts, she simply puts that it makes her feel comfortable otherwise she wouldn’t see the point in her life.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Its payoff while seemingly melodramatic is really engaging and heartfelt.

Another great aspect is its comedy, the movie never stresses trying to make you laugh. In this movie visuals and story come first I still find much of the film funny it’s a casual sense of humor and I enjoy it is not entirely bent on pop culture references or breaking the fourth wall. It’s just typical situations that can be exploited for a joke and don´t linger on the humor. 

After watching the film I have considered reading the graphic novel the movie is based on. Nimona is the type of story that I will remember forever for visuals and storytelling alone, I will keep it close to me like an old nostalgic children’s book.