Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
Wolfwalkers is a breathtaking piece of hand-drawn animation from Cartoon Saloon, with a visually distinctive style that fuses medieval illuminated manuscript aesthetics with fluid, kinetic linework unlike almost anything else in modern animation. The plot is richly layered — blending Irish folklore, colonialism, environmental themes, and a coming-of-age story with genuine emotional weight, earning a high mark. The cinematography is truly exceptional, with compositional choices and color palettes that feel painterly and alive. Novelty is sky-high: this film is utterly singular in its visual language and tonal register. Acting (voice work) is solid and heartfelt but not transcendent. The ending, while emotionally satisfying, leans toward a somewhat expected resolution that softens what had been a more complex and daring narrative tension, preventing it from fully sticking the landing.