The 97th Academy Awards are proper across the nook, and I’ve been in a severe crunch to observe as lots of the 2025 Oscar nominees as humanly potential. These days, I’ve been focussing on the Greatest Animated Function class, which I lengthy thought would go to both The Wild Robotic or Move, two of the finest 2024 films. However that just lately modified now that I’ve wrapped up the little marathon.
It seems I saved the very best for final…
My favourite animated film of 2024 ended up being a stunning shock; an expertise that resonated with me vastly and one I don’t suppose I’ll quickly neglect. However earlier than I speak about my favourite 2025 Oscar-nominated animated movie, first let me clarify how I got here to this resolution.
The Wild Robotic Was My Favourite For Months, However Then Move Got here Round And Left Me In Awe
I took my daughter to see The Wild Robotic final fall, and the DreamWorks animated movie blew me away on so many alternative ranges. The emotional, gratifying, and triumphant story of a lone robotic discovering goal in a wierd world by elevating a younger gosling was like nothing I’d skilled earlier than. The animation, which felt extra like a shifting watercolor portray than a 3D-animated function movie (as seen within the movie’s trailer) was so distinctive, so refreshing and so pleasing to the eyes that I’ve discovered myself taking a look at screenshots ever because it grew to become obtainable with a Peacock subscription.
However then I watched Move. Although watching it with my children was a mistake for quite a lot of completely different causes, this Latvian animated fantasy movie a couple of cat attempting to outlive a mysterious flood with a gaggle of different animals was a superb and contemplative exploration of life, dying, rebirth, and survival. Totally terrifying at occasions, and strikingly lovely at others, this film made fully within the free and open-source Blender software program was not like some other animated movie, or some other film, in latest reminiscence. I nonetheless must revisit it with my Max subscription, although.
Inside Out 2 And Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Had Their Strengths, However Left Me Wanting Extra
I took my children to see Inside Out 2 on the ultimate day of our household trip final summer season, and it was actually some of the pleasing and cathartic experiences of the 12 months. The story of Riley Anderson coming to phrases together with her altering feelings whereas her inside emotions additionally grapple with the change (and new additions like Anxiousness) was astonishing, shifting, humorous, and extremely relatable. Nevertheless, the animation itself wasn’t all that groundbreaking.
Positive, it was fairly to have a look at, as is the case with the finest Pixar films, however not like The Wild Robotic or Move, it didn’t actually do something new. A technical achievement, sure; a murals, not a lot. I revisited Inside Out 2 with my Disney+ subscription when it dropped final fall, however was left feeling the identical means in regards to the visuals.
I had an analogous expertise once I watched Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl when the stop-motion animated film grew to become obtainable with a Netflix subscription in early 2025 (it was launched in the UK late final 12 months). Solely this time, I liked the painstakingly crafted claymation results however I didn’t actually join with the story. Positive, I liked watching Gromit save Wallace from Norbot and his military of gnomes, however it didn’t examine all of the bins like The Wild Robotic or Move.
Nevertheless, there was a stop-motion animated film that checked all of the bins after which some. I suppose it’s time to speak about my favourite…
Memoir Of A Snail, With Its Cease-Movement Animation, Emotional Story, And Offbeat Tone Gained Me Over
I first heard Memoir of a Snail in some unspecified time in the future in 2024, however fully forgot about it till the Oscar nominees had been introduced this January. Properly, I lastly watched Adam Elliott’s stop-motion animated tragicomedy that explores dying and loss with an entire lot of coronary heart, emotion, and a few offbeat comedy that left me crying one second and laughing the following.
Centering on Grace Pudel, a lonely misfit who was separated from her twin brother following the tragic dying of their father (their mom died years earlier in childbirth), the film navigates the total gamut of emotion and life experiences. The nice, the unhealthy, the ugly, and the snails of life are all on show as the lady displays on the trials and tribulations of her childhood, adolescence, and now maturity.
Like The Wild Robotic and Move, Memoir of a Snail takes quite a lot of dangers with its story, sticks the touchdown, and just about checks each different field I’ve in my head whereas watching movies propped as much as be “better of the 12 months.” It additionally had the weather of Inside Out 2 and Vengeance Most Fowl that I loved a lot, in addition to the features each of these movies had been lacking.
In Truth, Memoir Of A Snail Impacted Me Extra Than Fairly A lot Any 2024 Film
I watched quite a lot of films in 2024, and quite a lot of these impacted me in additional methods than one. However the film that impacted me greater than just about some other was Memoir of a Snail. It’s been days since I watched Grace navigate grief in a mad, mad world, however I nonetheless can’t cease serious about her journey, her experiences (each good and unhealthy), and the way she saved a constructive and pragmatic perspective about life.
Just like how I liked the best way We Stay in Time dealt with sickness and dying, this Oscar-nominated quick movie used its medium to argue that dying, loss, and grief aren’t essentially unhealthy issues. Positive, they carry ache and sorrow, however additionally they enable us to mirror and develop. These trials and tribulations, although onerous to get via, make us higher, extra well-rounded, and extra resilient when it’s all stated and carried out.
Will I be mad if Memoir of a Snail loses to both The Wild Robotic or Move on the 97th Academy Awards? No, probably not. However, I will likely be ecstatic if this bizarre little Australian stop-motion animation movie defies the percentages and wins all of it!