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I finally checked this out a couple days ago, shortly before this miraculous film won the Best Animated Feature Oscar. I must say that this is a huge win for not only foreign animation beyond Japan (as this film was largely made in Latvia), but also indie animation given that the film had a very small crew who made the whole thing in Blender. If that doesn't scream underdog success, I don't know what else does.

But as for the movie itself, it's an admittedly pretty basic story about a bunch of animals trying to survive in a severely flooded world. The film follows a stream of conscious style narrative where everything that happens occurs as the animals end up on a boat through differing circumstances. Because there is no dialogue, audiences are able to interpret the animal's thoughts and feelings through the specific actions at play, especially as the stakes rise from the seemingly never-ending floods surrounding them. Although the feature does go about its own pace, the intensity still feels very brutal as you never know what will happen to the animals next. Much of this is highlighted from the gorgeous artistry on display, with the many different sites the animals encounter feeling fresh and unique, no matter how broken they appear.

Now it should be stated that director and co-writer Gints Zilbalodis also served as the cinematographer, editor and composter alongside Rihards Zalupe. If nothing else, this film has his personal touches nearly all over itself, and you can feel the passion sprinkled in almost every sequence. No matter how brutal the seemingly bleak subject matter is, Zilbalodis manages to convey a subtle sense of hope as the film's primary focused cat jumps from one hurdle to another. Given how much water is established as the penultimate enemy, I wouldn't be surprised if rendering all of it for the movie was as much of an enemy to the film's crew as it was for the animals to survive in. Nonetheless, it definitely payed off with how much beauty comes rom the outer forests, colorful fish, and other unique natural elements.

I don't think I have much else to add to Flow that hasn't already been stated otherwise. It is as maturely thematic as it is ingeniously presented, thanks in no small part to the incredible work shown from the efforts of so few people on board. This film's international success should not be understated and it should definitely be kept in the history books for how impactful it was all around.

Wallace and Gromit do usually work best in their typical short format, but their first feature length endeavor, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, still remains a charmingly delightful treat after 20 years. The iconic witty duo developed by Nick Park got to tackle the horror genre in this hysterical adventure, largely parodying the Hammer Horror films of the late '50s. Just like other Wallace & Gromit outings, this film got a wide amount of acclaimed recognition upon its release, and it remains one of the very few stop-motion films to have won the Best Animated Feature Oscar.

But as for the film itself, the main premise of Wallace and Gromit trying to humanely capture rabbits before their town's annual vegetable competition is very inspired for the horror genre. Seeing the twists and turns that come up in Wallace's own livelihood adds a lot of humorous spins on the eccentric inventor's love of cheese. In addition, for all of the jokes and gags in every minute, Park and co-director Steve Box still make sure to keep the horror elements at bay with a strong lingering atmosphere and harsh lighting to emphasize the fear of destroyed vegetables at bay. The added threat of the main antagonist, Lord Victor Quartermaine, keeps the stakes high as the man's lust for Lady Tottington makes him as devilishly wicked as he is hilariously pathetic. No matter how serious the thrills can be, we're always reminded that we're watching a comedic thrill ride all around.

Much of the film's charm stems from the late Peter Sallis voicing Wallace and his humanoid rabbit experiment Hutch. Getting to hear Sallis's voice after all these years never seizes to make me chuckle, but the stakes also allow him to shed some genuine emotion in Wallace that isn't always seen in other cartoons featuring the duo. In addition to our titular leads, there's quite a plethora of the townsfolk who get their time to shine every now and again, and not just because of the script's numerous one liners and double entendres. Notable players such as Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Smith and Peter Kay generate as many laughs as they do excitement in their character's individual quirks. Beyond that, Aardman definitely stepped up their game for the world building in this feature, from the numerous set locations, to Wallace's multiple clever contraptions and even some remarkable were-rabbit transformations. These transformations perfectly fit composer Julian Nott's energetic score, blending haunting compositions with the iconic "Wallace and Gromit" theme.

Maybe it's thanks to their most recent feature film, but revisiting the works of Wallace & Gromit has been a wonderful breath of fresh air for me. Whether they be one of their myriad of shorter adventures or on a bigger scale trying to fend off vegetable eating rabbits, you can almost always guarantee this cracking duo to deliver on hearty laughs and endearing charm all the way through. There's always a time and place for these lovable characters to warm our hearts, and I always welcome whatever they were in then and what they'll possibly be in soon.

I probably won't win over too many friends when I say this, but this film was far more enjoyable than Osgood Perkins' last feature, Longlegs. Not only did it elevate an otherwise obscure short story by Stephen King into hysterically dark heights, but it felt a lot more endearing for me. While its blending of comedy and horror can be a little mismatched from time to time, it still manages to keep its story engaging enough for the general ride.

The film's general premise of twin brothers' livelihoods getting cursed by a demonic toy monkey is taken advantage of through familiar grounds yet sporadic deaths that come up throughout the runtime. The brothers in question, Hal and Bill Shelburn, contrast with one another both in childhood and adulthood so distinctively that the audience knows who to root for and who to be weary of. Theo James plays grownup Hal and Bill separately in differing fashions, so they both feel like conflicting issues worsening each other as the film goes on. Also, Christian Convery plays the younger Hal and Bill decently enough, showing subtilely effective emotions as both characters go about their lives differently. As far as familiar territories go, Hal's estranged son Petey is a likable if not typical archetype moody teenager who's not given much distinction between similar sarcastic kids as him. Also, you would think Elijah Wood's character would have more screentime, but a las.

It should be stated that this film cost roughly $10 million to produce, and it definitely made use of its limited budget. Most of the gory effects come off as appealingly practical and the monkey itself is utilized in a fairly menacing manner by only doing so little. Its design alone is scary enough already, but the factor of it only killing whoever it feels like makes its weak functionality all the more frightening. The locations shown across Maine feel quite homey and old fashioned to make the brutalities from the monkey's curse stick out all the more, no matter if they're presented as funny or scary. Maybe the film could have benefited from a little more emphasis on the humor since it can occasionally be a little jarring from the thrills, but at least Edo Van Breemen's chilling score is there to remind us that we're witnessing a horrific narrative at the end of the day. Plus, the film is self aware enough to not let either the humor or horror go too far in either department.

After seeing The Monkey, I think more of Stephen King's lesser known works are worthy to be adapted into film. At least depending on whoever directs it, there could be a massive benefit to marketing other tales from one of horror's most beloved literary masters through cinema. Here's also hoping that Osgood Perkins continues making solid content as a filmmaker, no matter what comes his way.