Spoiler Warning: There are main Stream spoilers beneath. If you happen to’ve but to look at the 2024 animated movie, please train warning.
For so long as my youngsters have been sufficiently old to look at films, my household has had the annual custom of watching all of the animated movies nominated for Oscars. When the 2025 Academy Award nominees have been introduced, I used to be stoked to see Stream, which some contemplate one of many finest animated films of 2024, on that listing. Having wished to test it out for a while, I believed my youngsters could be all for a film about an lovable cat attempting to outlive a flood.
However I used to be unsuitable…
Although I completely loved the film and may see why it’s been nominated for 2 Oscars, it was a special expertise for my youngsters. Include me as I break down why I believe displaying Stream to my youngsters (particularly my youngest) was form of a mistake.
Stream Appeared Like It Was Going To Be One thing My Children Would Love
Once I first noticed the Stream trailer final yr, I believed to myself that this could be the proper factor to look at with the children on a household film night time. I imply, my youngsters love animated films, are obsessive about our two cats, they usually’re all about journey tales. Going by the two-minute trailer, it appeared just like the film would have all of that and extra. There seemed to be no scarcity of surprise, pleasure, journeys, and thriller all through the film.
Although Stream does have all of that (and extra), I don’t assume my youngsters have been prepared for every part else the film threw their means. I absolutely agree with certainly one of my colleagues who mentioned it was certainly one of their favourite 2024 films, nevertheless it was a very completely different story for my kiddos. Did they hate it? No, in no way. However, is it one thing they need to watch once more? In time…
They Cherished The Animation, However The Story Was Too A lot For Them
Right here’s a loopy truth about Stream that I haven’t been capable of cease fascinated by. In accordance with Hollymotion, the Oscar-nominate film (Finest Animated Function Movie, Finest Worldwide Movie) was made solely in Blender, a free and open-source animation program that anybody and everybody can use. Whereas the visuals aren’t all the time as subtle as different nominees like The Wild Robotic or Inside Out 2, Gints Zilbalodis’ acclaimed animated movie is highly effective, distinctive, and marvelous.
I wasn’t alone in my love of the animation, as my youngsters saved commenting on the best way the darkish gray cat on the middle of the movie appeared and acted, they usually had much more reward for the capybara and different animals that joined the misplaced feline on its seek for dry land. However, whereas they liked the look of the movie, the story was an excessive amount of for them – each by way of scary moments and a plot that they had bother understanding. They might bounce from being scared to confused and again to scared within the stretch of some minutes, and there have been occasions after I needed to cease the film to clarify this or that to them earlier than continuing.
I Cherished The Film’s Lack Of Dialogue, My Children Not So A lot
This isn’t a kind of films the place it’s important to fear about subtitles, because the animated movie doesn’t have a single line of dialogue. A daring alternative, nevertheless it actually works within the film’s favor, particularly on the subject of setting the tone and temper of the movie. As a lot as I really like speaking animals in films, having the cat, varied canine, lemurs, birds, and different characters battle to search out methods to speak added a pleasant contact, and set it aside from related films.
Nonetheless, my youngsters weren’t as massive of followers when it got here to the entire no-dialogue facet. There have been a number of occasions all through the place they have been confused about what was occurring, which resulted in me continuously urgent pause to clarify issues to them, both as a result of they didn’t decide up on one thing or have been simply dropping curiosity. We made it by okay in the long run, nevertheless it was distracting having to begin and cease time and again.
The Peril In Stream Was Too A lot For My Children At Occasions
One in all my colleagues not too long ago wrote about The Wild Robotic being low-key terrifying, and I can actually say that Stream additionally falls into that class. Whereas there have been occasions of surprise, pleasure, and pure magnificence because the cat embarked upon an epic journey to flee a mysterious flood, my daughter, particularly, was having a tough time with the peril of all of it.
At one level very early on when the cat and canine have been being carried away in a river of water and particles, my daughter started to cry as a result of she thought the animals have been going to die. It was one other time after we needed to pause and say this was simply an animated film and not one of the animals have been actual or in any form of actual hazard. My joke about The Adventures of Milo & Otis didn’t assist the scenario in any respect, however our cat leaping on her lap shortly after did lighten the temper.
Stream Touches On Some Heavy Tones, And I Do not Suppose My Children Are Prepared For It Simply But
Earlier than going into Stream, I believed my youngsters have been going to be greater than able to deal with the heavy tones, subjects, and conditions on show all through. Nonetheless, I don’t assume they’re fairly prepared for any of it simply but.
As I discussed earlier, it doesn’t draw back from the darkish and harmful; in actual fact, it steers the boat straight towards it. That makes for a extra fulfilling story for adults or older youngsters, it was a special story for my three youngsters, particularly my youngest. This isn’t to say it is a unhealthy animated film and has no proper to be nominated for an Oscar or obtain reward at any of the upcoming awards exhibits, nevertheless it’s simply not the best movie for my youngsters at this time limit. Am I bummed? Yeah, type of. However I’m excited to revisit it with them sooner or later.
All in all, Stream was a terrific animated movie that deserves any and all reward that comes its means. And who is aware of, my youngsters could possibly be the exception and yours might get pleasure from as a lot as I did.