This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
We all know about Disney, Pixar, Studio Ghibli, Illumination, Laika, and Dreamworks animation. I wager that Netflix’s animation department is as exciting right now as any of those mentioned there, considering the wide ranging exciting slate of films they made/distributed. Nimona maintains Netflix’s prowess as an animated distributor to watch, with the movie’s compelling modernized retelling of classic storytelling. Modern knights for the win!
Welcome to futuristic medieval heaven! The kingdom is protected by the Elite Knights, peacekeeping warriors since the time of legendary heroine Gloreth (Karen Ryan), who defeated a giant monster that threatened everyone. This is a big year for the knights: Queen Valerin (Lorraine Toussaint) is knighting two big names: Gloreth’s ancestor the impeccably named Ambrosius Goldenlion (Eugene Lee Yang), and the first non-noble to achieve knight status, also impeccably named Balthasar Boldheart (Riz Ahmed). Things go awry, and Balthasar has to go into hiding, where the strange outcast Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz) finds him in hopes to team up, and get to the bottom of what happened at the knighting ceremony.
It’s that combination of old and new that makes Nimona so compelling. We’ve got weapons like swords and cannons. But both have the ability to shoot lasers, sure why not? Hiding lairs look like medieval castles, but chases through the streets are filled with cars or trains. Shapeshifters exist alongside robotic arms. The weird specificity of the world makes Nimona endlessly fun to live in, like we bypassed a thousand years of human development right after the Middle Ages and moved to modern times. And despite the Middle Agey names, thankfully, we get a modern comedic sensibility, as the uptight dutiful Balthasar and the “metal” Nimona make for a fun mismatched dynamic duo.
This merging of classic and modern bears its greatest fruit in the storytelling and themes. In this world of knights in armor and giant beasts, there’s a surveillance state and social media. Public opinion matters more than ever, and wars are fought as much on a battlefield as they are online. We see the twisted web of lies various characters have to perpetuate the status quo, constantly reframing the narrative to prevent societal progress from actually taking place. Fine for those in power; heartbreaking for those not, whose marginalization goes back thousands of years because of simple misunderstandings. Ambrosius is trapped in between a power struggle to defend the kingdom and defend Balthasar. Mere friendship and knights loyalty wouldn’t be enough of a motive to make that compelling in this world, so the movie makes them in love with one another, which makes Ambrosius’s choices hit much harder for Balthasar and by proxy, the audience. Stories of love, betrayal, and legends told via camera phones and social media outcry? Nimona really goes for it, and has a blast doing so that it’s gonna rub off on you.
Keep em coming Netflix! Make em, distribut em, but keep the cool stories and voices coming. I don’t think shapeshifters and knights in a surveillance state kingdom was on my wish list, but the ingenuity and constant surprise makes the streamer one of my favorite animation deliverers working today. Step up your game, Disney!