“Nimona” (2023)
3.5/5 ***-
“Nimona” (2023), directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, is an animated film based on the graphic novel of the same name. The story takes place in a medieval-inspired (yet paradoxically also futuristic) kingdom where Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) is about to be the first commoner to be knighted as an Elite Knight. However, his dreams are crushed when he is framed for murdering Queen Valerin (Lorraine Toussaint) during the knighting ceremony. Now in hiding, Bal has no choice but to team up with Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mysterious teen with the power of shapeshifting into anything she wants. Together, the two work to prove Bal’s innocence to not only the kingdom, but also to Bal’s (ex-)boyfriend, Ambrosius (Eugene Lee Yang).
Overall, this film is really fun. The world is super creative in how it interweaves sci-fi and medieval elements. The way that nobility and knights still exist but have evolved with changing technology creates a world that the viewer wants to know more about — and maybe even wants to live in. I personally loved the costume designs, with characters wearing classic medieval fashion elements like chainmail and veils, and yet also flying hover cars and using smartphones. It is a very imaginative aesthetic that I hope is fleshed out more if the film gets a sequel.
This film is more than just a cool aesthetic; it also has themes of questioning authority and the institutions that are in place. In the film, Bal is the first person who is not of the nobility to become an Elite Knight, resulting in controversy. Members of the public and nobility express concern, claiming that they do not feel safe and feel that their queen made the wrong call. The concern of someone breaking the glass ceiling and entering a world that was originally meant for only the nobility shows that this society refuses to break tradition, even when said tradition shuts others out. After Bal is framed for killing the queen and works to prove his innocence, he slowly realizes that the Institution that he had been loyal to his whole life has, for lack of a better word, issues.
Bal’s realization is instigated by Nimona. After learning of her powers and eventually realizing that she is the infamous monster that attacked the kingdom a thousand years prior, Bal grows suspicious of what he has always been taught. All of his life, he was told that the Institution was set up to defend the kingdom from the monsters that the legendary Gloreth had allegedly slain. The “monster” was said to be a shapeshifter that wants to cause chaos and bring down society. In this world, children are taught from a young age that in order to be heroes, they must slay “monsters.” After Bal meets Nimona, his worldview is shattered. He realizes that just because Nimona is different does not make her a monster and, consequentially, he becomes protective of her.
Bal is not the only one who deals with internal struggles. As the film goes on, the viewer sees the deep hurt that Nimona feels after centuries of being labeled as a monster. In one scene, while she and Bal try to evade capture, she turns into a dragon. Noticing a child about to get hit by debris, Nimona uses her tail to intercept the impending danger. The child is not thankful, however. Instead, they are terrified of the monster in front of them. Even after Nimona transforms into a little girl, the child is still terrified, picking up a toy sword, pointing it at Nimona and calling her a monster. Nimona is horrified and angered by the fact that the concept of “us versus them” is ingrained into children so young.
In one heartbreaking scene, she says, “I don’t know what’s scarier. The fact that everyone in this kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes I just want to let them.” That line shows how much being called a monster has impacted her. How feeling like she is not and never will be accepted by society makes her want to become the monster everyone fears and let herself be slain. Eventually, towards the end of the film, Nimona attempts to do just that: to allow the statue of Gloreth to run her sword through her heart. Thankfully, Bal stops her, finally giving Nimona the acceptance she craved for the past thousand years.
This film is extremely well made. The dark themes are balanced perfectly with the quick humor and exciting visuals. The characters are well-written, the aesthetic is great and the animation is super fun. It is insane that Disney canceled this film because they missed out on a great story (though they probably would have erased the queer themes, so, in some ways, I’m glad they did cancel it, which allowed Netflix to release it instead). All in all, this is a fun film. Highly recommend!