Psiconautas

This is an incredible, gorgeous, and brutal movie. You won't regret watching it.

The movie although with a false kid friendly imagery gives you a crushing blow about society. It makes good questions about our lives and how we destroy ourselves mentally, physically and emotionally, and also what surround us. You see each character battling their demons and fears, especially the lead character birdboy, who doesn't even speak, with every emotion coming from the animation simple but very creative. You can see the passion that took making each scene. For me it's one of the best animated movies in recent years.

In popular media, sometimes the most obscure can pick up one's interest. That came when I randomly encountered the Blu-ray of a 2015 Spanish film called "Birdboy: The Forgotten Children (Psiconautas, los niños olvidados)". It is based on a comic by Alberto Vázquez and serves as sort of a sequel to a short film made by him and Pedro Rivero simply titled "Birdboy" (can be found on youtube), which I recommend seeing if you want some extra context (though the film itself works without it).

Plot: An industrial accident turns a once peaceful island of anthropomorphic animals into a harsh, near-lifeless dystopia. The orphaned outcast Birdboy tries to get by in life and keep the demon inside him locked away. Meanwhile, his loving friend, a mouse named Dinky, plans to leave the island with her friends to start fresh in the outside world. Little do both know that their destinies are intertwined in ways they cannot imagine.

Full warning: This is NOT a kids movie. It's a world that embraces the dark and macabre with elements of drugs, blood+violence, language, and minor sexual elements. The society is one of denial, desperation, corruption, and waste, rotting inside and out. But, the film's tagline "There is light and beauty, even in the darkest of worlds" is present in different ways such as Birdboy's beautiful grotto, Little Fox, and small humorous touches, fragments of hope for the forsaken island that may or may not come to pass. The art style would make Tim Burton proud, decay and dark shadows at nearly every corner with simplistic character designs that often fit their thematic relevance and lifestyles. Abundant themes are woven into both the world and narrative such as addiction, adolescence, environmentalism, conformity, freedom, prejudice, family troubles, and the darkness within us, all seen from the perspectives of the two protagonists. I also gotta give props to the music, the emotional tone of which is a mix of eerie and soothing.

Birdboy is one of the most unique and intriguing fictional characters I've seen, silent and reclusive yet so full of nuance and pathos. He's flawed but he persists in bettering things even when the world and his frightening demon are against him. Dinky complements him with her desire for a new life, seeing nothing of value beyond those closest to her and doing what she can to achieve her goal. While not seen together that much, their relationship drew me in. The side characters are also interesting with their own problems, though I felt that a couple of them could've used more development such as Dinky's friend Sandra who suffers from schizophrenia.

"Birdboy: The Forgotten Children" is a creature unlike any other, both strange and inviting. It managed to win Best Animated Feature among other awards and, for me, it's easy to see why. I was regaled and intellectually challenged by this one. If you want to try a new visual experience, then give this and the prequel short film a watch. Just keep it away from children.

I don't know what to write. Just watch it... It is a bit too dark maybe, our world is (still) not that bad, still not inhabitat that much by the demons in our head.

Reviews say that this is not for kids. They are right, it is already hard for a caring grow up to watch. But if there would be less violence shown in the movie, I am sure many kids would love and understand this movie, because all kids wants to enjoy life and doesn't like parents that seem to care about you but instead act like an Matrix agent. And kids like nature, because they don't have self-hatred.

The film although represents world without hope, has a good message. It says: 'You can not solve the problems by running from them, there is always happiness and beauty within where you live. Just find it and spread it.

This movie blew me away. Very dark, creative, and shocking. I've seen this one twice, and would gladly watch it again. Check it out.