By Joan Amenn

First, we need to talk about the “pizza rat.”

Originally posted to Instagram as a meme, the rodent with a mouthful of Italian goodness became a symbol of gritty adaptability if not absurdly outright willfulness. As a metaphor for the title character of my favorite animated film of the year, it is hilariously apt.

This year brought viewers an especially diverse trove of animated gems such as “The Boy and the Heron” and “Spider-Man, Across the Spider-Verse.” However, the former sadly did not emotionally engage me and the latter competes with others in its series for which is the best. Enter “Nimona”, a film that very nearly was never completed. I would like to state here and now that it became my “comfort film” of 2023 and I am eternally grateful to those who backed it landing at Netflix.

So much has already been written about the back story of how “Nimona” came this close to being shelved and never finished. I would prefer to focus on it being here and how much of a joy it is. However, I have some lingering resentment that Netflix never gave this film a theatrical release as that would have helped its chances of getting much deserved award nominations. For example, the art direction that seamlessly blends Camelot with “Blade Runner” (1982) making a completely believable world deserves recognition. Also, the deliberate use of two colors, red and hot pink, to symbolize Nimona in all of their incarnations is brilliant in representing their twin spirited nature. I cannot praise Chloe Grace Moretz enough for bringing Nimona to life and her wonderful comedic timing that captures the energy and enthusiasm of the character.

One of my favorite scenes is a chase in which Nimona shape shifts while also attempting to protect her new partner in crime, Ballister (Riz Ahmed, who is incapable of giving anything less than a brilliant performance) from pursuing henchmen. Each shift in weight and balance is conveyed in the animation without missing a beat of fluidity as Nimona changes form, speed and direction. It is a breathtaking joy to watch and also includes a few funny bits as Ballister is amazed at his sidekick’s ability. My other favorite scene is one that includes the theme song of one of my favorite Saturday morning children’s shows when I was a kid. Beyond nostalgia, I was moved that this would be included as a way to bridge generations and spark conversations such as the following hypothetical:

Young Person: “Hey Mom/Dad, remember that lame kid’s show you said you liked so much when you were growing up?”

Parent: “What do you mean, “lame”???”

Young Person: “Come in here and watch this with me. You’re going to love it.”

And so, this family possibly starts to talk about gender identity, gender roles and maybe even reaches a new understanding because they can find common ground in an animated film about a shapeshifting force of nature. Maybe I’m being idealistic, but “Nimona” inspired more hope in me than I felt in a long time about how art can influence society. I think that deserves at least a few nominations.

My original review can be found here.