Flow Achieves Universal Acclaim Following Golden Globe and Oscar Wins
Gints Zilbalodis’ Flow, a dialogue-free survival tale of a solitary cat’s journey, has won both the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. Ultimately, the film’s success is attributed to its ability to captivate audiences, signifying its universal appeal. As of March 15, it grossed over $36 million worldwide, with a total budget of $3.4 million. To reach this impressive feat, what factors contributed to its worldwide success?
The Oscars Went Along with the Flow
Image from Flow courtesy of Baltic Content Media, UFO Distribution, and Le Parc Distribution
After premiering in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, Flow continued to captivate audiences, critics, and voters in its journey through the awards circuit. The film successfully navigated through this prestigious landscape, outshining other popular animated films, including:
The Wild Robot
Inside Out 2
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Memoir of a Snail
This achievement not only shows Flow‘s universal appeal but also the skill of its producers: Dream Well Studio, Sacrebleu Prods., and Take Five Prods. Furthermore, the film accomplished another remarkable feat of being nominated for both Best Animated Feature and International Film at the Oscars.
Story and Theme Flows Together
Flow follows a fiercely independent cat who must share a boat with a diverse group of animals in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a devastating flood. Telling a gentle story, the film’s poignant narrative centers around pressing global issues, including climate change. Specifically, its theme of unity in the face of adversity resonated with both audiences and critics.
During his Oscars acceptance speech, director Gints Zilbalodis, who made his feature debut with the international hit “Away” at just 24 years old, spoke about the timelessness of this theme. Moreover, Zildalodis emphasized the importance of working together and overcoming challenges, drawing parallels between the film’s narrative and current global challenges. Additionally, he noted that Flow was the first Latvian film to be nominated for and win an Oscar. By reaching this incredible feat, he hoped that more doors would open for independent animation filmmakers worldwide.
Flow Ends Superstition with Love
As a result of Flow‘s success, the negative perception of black cats due to superstition has shifted, with these beautiful animals receiving more appreciation. The Latvian production has captivated audiences worldwide with its black cat protagonist, inspiring a growing fondness for these often-overlooked felines. In fact, animal shelters have reported a significant growth in adoptions of black cats. Additionally, pet owners have noted drawing inspiration from the film when naming their pets, given the reported increase of black cats named ‘Flow’.
Flow Reaches Universal Claim
Flow has garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews, with an impressive score of 94% of 148 critics’ reviews on Rotton Tomatoes praising the film. Despite its 8.5/10 average rating, the film was praised for its innovative animation and mature themes, both proving to be irresistible to critics. Similarly, it earned a score of 87 out of 100, based on 27 critics’ reviews, on Metacritic, which indicates “universal acclaim” – and rightfully so! Lastly, some notable box office figures include:
$4.6 million – North America
$6.7 million – Mexico
$1 million – Brazil
$3.4 million – Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay
$2.1 million – Latvia
$5.4 million – France (from 682,217 admissions)
$1 million – Germany (after its first weekend)
$1.3 million – the Netherlands
$1.6 million – Spain
$2.7 million – China (after its third weekend)
$591,000 – Vietnam (from 157,000 admissions after its first weekend)
David Gilbert
David Gilbert is a poet and writer from Dayton Ohio, revealing themes of love and life to uncover the importance of self-discovery and self-recovery. Attending four years at Stivers School for the Arts with a focus on creative writing and receiving his Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in English, David has learned his craft by understanding the significance of words to provoke fresh emotion and raw honesty.
