In the wake of a wrongful accusation involving a murder, a fallen knight teams up with a rebellious young girl in a bid to vindicate himself. Their motives, however, couldn’t be more disparate: while the disgraced knight, Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed), seeks to clear his tarnished name, the outcast teenage girl, Nimona (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz), is driven by a desire to sow chaos.
Nimona possesses a remarkable ability to change her form at will, seamlessly transforming from a rhino to an eagle, or from a whale to a tiny mouse. She embodies a spirited and unconventional antihero with a penchant for wreaking havoc. Tragically, she also happens to be the very creature that Ballister has been trained to hunt down and eliminate.
Set against the backdrop of a medieval-futurist fantasy realm, where modern skyscrapers sport the architectural elements of ancient castles and knights clad in high-tech armour wield swords that double as laser guns, the world of Netflix’s animated adaptation of ND Stevenson’s graphic novel, “Nimona,” is a visual spectacle in its own right. Drawing inspiration from the straightforward graphic styles of mid-20th-century illustrators like Eyvind Earle, the film challenges conventional colour conventions. Ballister and Nimona’s hideout is drenched in the traditionally sinister shades of red and black, defying expectations of heroism often associated with white attire. And this is not the only way these two defy expectations.
Not all is as it seems
Over the course of the film, these two anti-heroes go up against a system that is slowly revealed to be anything other than how it’s portrayed. Rich in humour, and nuanced characters, Nimona draws its viewer in with perfectly timed reveals and well-paced action set pieces.
While the film delves into familiar themes such as the plight of misunderstood monsters and the fear of the unknown and those who are different, there is a profound underlying message that sets it apart. Built casually into the weave of the movie, and without being at all a lecture in modern thinking, the film emerges as a compelling advocate for tolerance and LGBTQ+ acceptance.
It’s a movie that subtly and deftly encases these elements in a rollicking adventure. This is the kind of film that will stand the test of time, beloved by both adults and children alike, and we can therefore highly recommend it for family movie night – seriously, don’t miss out.
