Sometimes you watch something so mesmerizing and breathtaking that you are forever left changed. And we know we sound a bit like drama queens saying this in combination with the title of this post, but we stand by our words, especially when it comes to Apple TV+’s Wolfwalkers.
This animated film stars a hunter named Robin who is determined to follow her father wherever he goes, the word of the lord of the keep be damned. She’s a free spirit and there’s nothing that can keep her away from following in her father’s footsteps. No matter convention, no matter what a young lady is supposed to be doing, she lives her life to the beat of her own drum.
Robin’s life changes forever when she meets another free spirit in Mebh. This young girl is more than she seems and transforms into a wolf when she sleeps. This frightens Robin but also brings her closer to the young wolfwalker because she too longs to be as free as her new friend. It’s not long before a fierce relationship blooms between them.
They are not just two free spirits; they are sisters from another mister who have found each other in this life and will never part from the other as long as they live. Doesn’t mean that it came easy or that there weren’t problems along the way. There were plenty of them. But they were both allowed to grow, change, and learn from each other.
This is why this film is beautiful. Sure, like you, we were taken in by the style of this movie. Like The Secret of the Kells and Song of the Sea, it’s enchanting and equal parts mesmerizing. You can’t take your eyes off the screen and every line or stroke of a pencil brings to life Wolfwalkers. The oranges are vibrant, the golds are enthrall, and the greens fascinated.
But at the heart of this movie, what really moves it and let’s it take shape, is the friendship between these two young women. Both have the expectations of the world pressing down upon them, a family to care for, and dreams they’d like to explore in the present and future. And somehow, these two young women find that freedom, that strength, together.
That’s what kept us going while we were watching Wolfwalkers. That’s what kept us rooting for them to fix the broken bits between Robin and Mebh because drama had to happen to pull them apart for a bit. And that’s what left us utterly satisfied and proud that we got a story about a found family that found their place in the world with each other.
Like they say, you learn a lot from the content you consume. You learn the ways of the world, how you treat others, and how you should care for yourself. And in Wolfwalkers we learned that kindness is paramount, that promises should be kept, and that a chance to start anew is right around the corner and behind the nearest howl.
You just have to trust yourself, and let those that have mysteriously found their way into your life, past the blockades that you have put up. That’s what true beauty is in this story and in life. And we hope that you find that, dear reader, in the same way we watched these Robin and Mebh find it in their lives.
Wolfwalkers is available to stream on Apple TV+.
