Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Wolfwalkers’ On Apple TV+, A Dazzling Animated Tale From Ireland (And One Of The Year’s Best Films)

In the world of animation, studios seemed more determined than ever to erase all traces of human artistry; rarely will you see a brush stroke, a sketched line, or a woodcut these days. Fortunately, however, 2D animation and all the beautiful little details that come with it are alive and well in Wolfwalkers, now streaming on Apple TV+. This Irish film takes joy in its moving parts and all the artistry behind them, and casts a dazzling spell you won’t want to end.

WOLFWALKERS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) is a young English girl who dreams of being a hunter just like her father Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean). It’s 1650 in Kilkenny, Ireland, and Bill is doing his best to help Robyn adjust to their new home – and please Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell (Simon McBurney) by hunting down the wolves that live in the forest outside the rapidly expanding city walls. Robyn, too, dreams of hunting the wolves, until she meets Mebh Óg MacTír (Eva Whittaker), a young girl who runs among these supposedly bloodthirsty beasts: a Wolfwalker. A girl by day who leaves her body to roam the woods as a wolf by night, Mebh also has healing powers and and is able to control the vicious wolves. The idea of Wolfwalkers really existing is something Robyn (and the rest of the town) is incredibly skeptical of – until she experiences it for herself. Robyn tries to share this discovery with her father to get him to stop hunting the wolves, but he’s so angry she’s been spending time in the woods and hasn’t followed the Lord Protector’s orders to work in the scullery that he doesn’t listen.

Robyn and Mebh’s friendship blossoms as the “townie” and the Wolfwalker share their stories, and Mebh shares that she’s waiting for her mother to return from her wolf form and lead the pack away from the forest to somewhere safe. A distraught Mebh can sit in her mother’s lap and beg for her to return, but because her mother’s wolf alter-ego is elsewhere, she can’t get the affection and reassurance she so desperately craves. It’s wrenching stuff. Thanks to an accidental bite from Mebh in wolf form, it isn’t long before Robyn too joins the pack, which only complicates matters (especially with her wolf-hunting father) further. With only a matter of time before the forest goes up in flames and the last of the wolves are destroyed, it’s up to Robyn to help stop the Lord Protector and show her father the truth about the wolves – and who she really is.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Wolfwalkers is one of a kind, and I mean that in the best way possible. It will definitely appeal to Studio Ghibli lovers – and there’s a streak of Brave in it – but Wolfwalkers really exists in a league all its own.

Performance Worth Watching: It can be difficult to pull a standout performer from an animated film’s lineup, but Eva Whittaker does something totally wonderful as young wolfwalker Mebh Óg MacTíre. She’s feisty and funny, with a big heart and a bold sense of self – and she communicates all of that just with her voice. She breathes so much life into the fiery redhead, winning our hearts with her first words. (And she’s one among many incredible emotional voice performances here!).

Memorable Dialogue: Wolfwalkers is a film rich in visuals and in text, and there are so many lovely pieces of dialogue, but I found myself returning to when Mebh gives Robyn what are essentially wolf lessons and tells her “You don’t need your eyes to see.” Layered stuff, man.

Sex and Skin: This is a family affair, folks!

Our Take: It’s not often that a film – especially a family film – truly takes your breath away, but Wolfwalkers does so with enchanting ease. Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart have achieved something totally singular, combining the beloved old magic of hand-drawn animation with a moving story that will resonate with viewers of all ages. Wolfwalkers isn’t just a great animated film; it’s a great film, and one of the year’s best. It’s part-drama, part-action, part-coming-of-age story, and it’s wholly profound in its messaging and storytelling. Aided by stellar voice performances (could they have picked a better match for Robyn’s duty-driven, conflicted, melancholy father than Sean Bean?) and a spellbinding soundtrack, Wolfwalkers is the complete package – one that owes much of its magic to the visibility of the hands that brought it to life.

There’s something so mesmerizing about seeing the proof of artistry here; all the lines and brush strokes and woodcuts, the shift in style between day and night, city and forest, human and wolf. The last few decades have seen evidence of hand-drawn art in 2D animation and beyond begin to dwindle, but Wolfwalkers revels in its form, perhaps intentionally drawing attention to the fact that humans made this – and it’s all the better for it. There’s no attempt to seek perfection here, but rather a bold celebration of passion and workmanship. Every frame feels, well, frame-worthy, an image that sticks with you long after the story has ended. Colors splash and dance across the screen, creating depth and intrigue and excitement even when the light has gone from the sky. Fire is brought to life in a way only this team could have dreamed up. Some sequences are played out across multiple panels on screen, like a graphic novel. The city is dreary and full of harsh lines and repetition, while the forest is a lush, rolling dreamscape. It’s this rich, beautiful visual language that really makes Wolfwalkers the treasure it is on so many levels. When words aren’t enough, imagery fills in the blanks – and Wolfwalkers fills in these blanks and then some.

The visuals are indeed the stuff of dreams, but the story is something special, too. Wolfwalkers navigates multiple themes with grace and nuance; this is a story of identity and empowerment, but it’s also a tale of colonialism and humans and nature, of the way we all yearn for connection in this world. It just so happens that these profound and powerful messages are presented in fairytale wrapping. That the film is able to communicate all these things in a way that is enthralling for children and impactful for adults is a feat in itself.

If you’re on the fence because it seems like it might be a kids’ movie (or some kind of artsy animated film for adults), I beg you to give it a chance. I – a 27-year-old woman who lives alone – found myself weeping, laughing, and holding my breath throughout the film, utterly mesmerized by every frame, sunk deep into a world of childlike wonder. Wolfwalkers is a cinematic experience both joyous and wrenching, thrilling and cathartic. An enchanting, engrossing, unforgettable experience, the kind of movie that easily earns its place among the classics, and has the power to spark conversations between parents and children, friends, and more. I’m sure I – along with many others – will return to Wolfwalkers again and again. It’s just that special.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Wolfwalkers is a breathtaking piece of art, a beautifully-rendered story that will cast a lasting spell on the whole family. Thank us later.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Stream Wolfwalkers on Apple TV+