Latest news with #animation
Digital Trends
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
3 underrated Netflix shows you should watch this weekend (June 20-22)
Watching shows on Netflix has become the way that many people wind down after long and stressful days. The trouble is that Netflix offers so many options that you might unwind by scrolling through the pages instead of actually picking something. If you'd like to avoid that problem, we're here to help. We've compiled a list of three underrated shows you can check out on the streaming service, with each offering something totally different. Recommended Videos Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and the best shows on Disney+. BoJack Horseman (2014-2020) An animated horse cartoon doesn't necessarily scream excellence, but BoJack Horseman was one of the most acclaimed shows on Netflix. The series tells the story of a former sitcom actor who, while still wealthy, is now a narcissistic alcoholic who alienates everyone who tries to get close to him. The show explores BoJack's bad behavior and his attempts to improve over the course of six seasons, and it's one of the more inventive, fascinating shows they've ever produced. It's been over for five years, but now is the perfect time to check it out if you missed it back in the day. You can watch Bojack Horseman on Netflix. Good Girls (2018-2021) A brilliant show about three women who take control of their own lives, Good Girls follows two sisters and their best friend as they decide to hold up a grocery store to get each of them out of some financial difficulty. Because they're new to this whole 'doing crimes' thing, the holdup doesn't go perfectly. The trio realizes that the only way they can escape is by working together. Good Girls is hilarious, occasionally thought-provoking, and a wonderful showcase for its three central performers. You can watch Good Girls on Netflix. Narcos (2015-2017) Narcos was a phenomenon when it first aired, but that was almost a decade ago now. The series, which lasted just three seasons, tells the story of the rise of the cocaine trade in Colombia in the late 1980s and follows real-life drug kingpins, including Pablo Escobar. The show, which also followed law enforcement efforts to combat the drug trade, was often riveting drama and anchored by a slew of great actors. Narcos was the type of cop show that we rarely see, and its focus on a particular time period in history gave it the kind of heft few shows can fake. You can watch Narcos on Netflix.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Out of Words features one of the cutest videogame characters I've ever seen, but there's a tinge of Kafkaesque darkness to it, too
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. After yapping about nothing but videogames for three days at Summer Game Fest, I tried my best to talk about anything else, but I just couldn't stop bringing up Out of Words. It's a sidescrolling tale of young love brought to life by a charming handicraft world and striking stop-motion animation. Being the type of person who's always experimenting with amateur arts and crafts and playing Jim Henson's Labyrinth on repeat must make me the perfect target for this, but the creations here benefit from a team of real artisans. When it launches, you'll be able to play Out of Words with a friend on the couch or connect with them online, regardless of platform. In my demo, I played with game director Johan Oettinger, while game design lead Jeff Sparks joined us for a chat. It's a strictly co-op adventure, and how its protagonists play will change throughout the journey to reflect the emotions and story connecting the kids, Karla and Kurt. An "Alice in Wonderland" moment happens almost immediately, dropping the friends into an unfamiliar and troubled world that hinders their ability to speak. It's also when you meet Aleph—the darling manta-like creature that's a manifestation of their friendship and feelings for each other. The Out of Words duo are cute as a button, but screenshot stills don't do Aleph justice. The bubbly blue baby purrs, coos, and squeaks while twirling about to lighten the mood. It makes perfect sense Aleph is born from good feelings between kind, gentle people. It's gotta be the cutest thing I've ever seen, and it's not just a me thing, either. Characters in later scenes seem drawn to its warmth in a way I suspect will have some special meaning for the big picture. When the demo skips ahead, it takes Kurt, Karla, and the painfully precious Aleph underneath the City of Nouns, aptly named Nounberg. To navigate the dangers of the catacombs, the friends toss Aleph back and forth, juggling its magic to avoid obstacles. The player holding Aleph floats along the ceiling, while the other runs along the ground like normal. Oettinger never dropped me, but I did let him go tumbling once or twice before finding our pace as a team. If you can learn to give up a little control and trust your partner, the mechanic turns into a comfortable dance. It's not difficult, but it's quite satisfying. "There's enough of a challenge to feel like you're overcoming, but we really want to keep it modest," Sparks said. "So that you can play it with your child, a non-gamer partner or parent. Someone who's a little less versed in videogames. We really want to make this as approachable as possible." Despite Kurt and Karla's predicament, the introduction to the catacombs feels surprisingly calm, almost meditative. Character puppets, blades of grass, and books—everything in the world of Vokabulantis is a real object that was made by hand and filled to the brim with tiny details. Set pieces are individually placed, while scenes are lit with actual studio lighting. The whole presentation felt like a diorama I could reach out and touch. It's no small feat, but Oettinger tells me he's been fabricating crafts like these for over twenty years as the founder of his animation studio, WiredFly. Immediately, the studio's approach makes me think of Ghibli, but not in the exclusively cute and cozy way popularly associated with the studio today. Out of Words is dark, beautiful, and comforting. I didn't see anything quite as terrifying as Princess Mononoke's headless Forest Spirit, but I did encounter strange creatures and unease more familiar in films like Spirited Away. Oettinger notes Hayao Miyazaki is among the artists who inspire him, along with Franz Kafka, Michael Ende, and David Bowie. There's a point when Kurt and Karla's own anxieties and miscommunication manifest, and the darker side of those influences emerge. Whatever happens triggers a new low in their friendship, and the two become an abomination of something called Primordial Clay. It's a divine substance that makes up much of the life in the strange world, and seems to sense how the duo feels. I was a little taken aback by how monstrous their insecurities take shape. Karla and Kurt are stuck together, the darling little Aleph sandwiched somewhere in the middle. Their movements no longer complement each other; instead, they move together as a messy, bumbling skull-like creature with two arms—one for each player to control. It destroys pieces of the city as it tears through alleyways and shops, desperate to catch a frightened clay citizen who may have more answers about how to help them find their words again. The rhythm of controlling their embodied ugliness came slower, but I found my groove with time. That's intentional, too. Sparks explained the transition demonstrates "just how dramatic the gameplay changes are between sequences." Out of Words is a coming-of-age story, but the complexities of communication are a lifelong challenge, even in old age. My first trailer impression misread the game, and I assumed the only communication happening would take place through actions, but I was wrong. There's plenty of direct language involved, and it brings the same artistry from the art style to the names of places and people thanks to poet Morten Søndergaard. My only disappointment came when the demo ended—I miss Karla, Kurt, and Aleph already. There's so much craftsmanship in the words, in the interactions, and in the placement of trinkets; it's a real showcase of specialist talent. While my demo experience wasn't very long, only some 40 or so minutes, I can't help but walk away feeling like Out of Words could be one of those games that endears me to the medium all over again.
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Elio film review: Pixar's latest adventure is nourishing slice of intergalactic fun with nods to Hollywood classic
ELIO PG (98mins) ★★★☆☆ 2 SPACE and sentimentality are the linchpins of Disney and Pixar's latest animated adventure which encourages you to dream big. Sci-fi obsessed Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) is a cape-wearing cosmic obsessive adopted by his Aunt Olga after his parents pass away. When extraterrestrials make contact, Elio doesn't hesitate to respond, and before you can say 'Martian' he's beamed up to a kind of cosmic UN Committee from various galaxies, including Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana). They believe he's the leader back on Earth and Elio doesn't correct them. He's soon tasked with negotiating an alien peace treaty with baddie Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), but this quickly turns into a journey of self-discovery as, along with new wiggly best friend Glordon (a cutesy Remy Edgerly), our hero realises what really matters to him. Reminding us that there's no place like home, there's many Wizard Of Oz homages here, as we transport through solar systems and scary villains. Intergalactic, nourishing, family fun. ★★★☆☆ 2 THIS warm, funny and often deeply moving documentary charts Swedish TV presenter Filip Hammar's attempt to bring his 80-year-old father Lars back to life – figuratively, at least. Since retiring from his job as a French teacher, Lars has become increasingly withdrawn and frail. So, Filip decides to buy a battered old Renault 4, and whisks his dad off on a nostalgic road trip to the south of France, hoping to reignite a spark. They're joined by Filip's longtime TV partner Fredrik Wikingsson, and the pair's banter keeps the film fun, even as emotional undercurrents start to appear. The journey is nearly derailed early on by a nasty fall, and though Lars is slow to warm up, glimpses of his old self soon begin to reappear, particularly when surrounded by the culture and language he has loved for so many years. At times, the film veers close to manipulation. But what shines through is Filip's deep affection for his father, and a quietly powerful message about ageing, legacy and the bonds between parent and child. It's a bit uneven, but The Last Journey has heart to spare – and plenty of charm.
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘KPop Demon Hunters' Director On Getting K-Pop Culture Down
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - (L-R) Mira (voice by MAY HONG), Rumi (voice by ARDEN CHO) and Zoey (voice by ... More JI-YOUNG YOO). ©2025 Netflix South Korea has been dominating the global pop music scene for the past few years with groups like BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and Stray Kids. There have been multiple projects surrounding K-pop music, including a Broadway musical, documentaries, and several film projects. One of the projects includes Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters, an animated feature centered on a K-pop girl group that also serves as a team of demon hunters sworn to protect their fans from supernatural threats. Things become complicated when a popular rival boy band is revealed to be demons. Director Maggie Kang didn't expect the impact of Korean culture and K-pop, which inspired her to write this film. When she was in elementary school in Canada, her teacher couldn't locate South Korea on the map. Now, her film is set to release on Netflix and has been praised by critics and fans. 'It was surreal,' Kang says. 'Every step of the way and every milestone we hit, I can't believe we're able to do this.' She had been working on this project for over nine years, aiming to create a story that explores Korean demon mythology and lore, starring badass women. The K-pop aspect was always present, but it was the last part that was developed in the story. They had initially planned for the animation to be a lower-budget movie that was a lot grittier and darker than the final product looked. 'Rumi was going to be the black sheep of her family,' Kang explains. 'It still had the themes of shame about their worth, but there was this girl who was kinda a dropout and failure, before discovering her lineage and living up to it, proving her own self-worth within herself. It was a story with ancestors and a little bit more Asian.' Kang was informed that the project had expanded significantly, which altered the story slightly, introducing two additional characters – Mira and Zoey. She found it funny that there were three members in Huntrix, but they created five characters for the Saja Boys. 'At first, Sony was like 'Can [Rumi] just be a solo artist?',' says Kang. 'I was like, no, she needs to be part of a group.' KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - When they aren't selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use ... More their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise. ©2025 Netflix When creating a K-pop group, there's a lot to be included in the story, especially the fandom: terminology, lightsticks, photocards, shipping, fan signs, variety shows, comebacks, and more. The screenplay, written by Kang, co-director Chris Appelhans, Hannah McMechan, and Danya Jimenez (with assistance from K-pop fans and writers Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt), perfectly captured the fan culture. Kang says it was a group effort in creating this story and the culture surrounding it. She credits McMechan and Jimenez for their research on the K-pop culture aspect, and even became K-pop fans themselves. 'They became K-pop fans because of this movie,' Kang explains. 'As they were doing research, they became total stans of K-pop – to the point that they would be up at three in the morning to refresh to watch music videos and then vote on stuff.' She says they became her K-pop experts. Anytime she had a question, she would text them for the answer. She says, 'It felt like a second job to be updated on all the K-pop things. As production rolled through, Kang just ran out of time to learn about K-pop culture. So, she depended on them for the knowledge. KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - When they aren't selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use ... More their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise. ©2025 Netflix The art department also had knowledgeable K-pop fans on staff who were involved in every part of the production. At one point, there was a scene where the idols competed against each other in the Idol Star Athletics Championships, also known as ISAC. 'For people who don't know: [ISAC] is like the Olympics for Korean idols,' says Kang. 'When we cut that scene in, all the executives were like, 'What is this? Why are they suddenly doing the Olympics and running hurdles and doing archery?' That eventually became a fan signing event. But, for a very long time, they had Rumi and Jinu doing archery, as they were having that conversation.' The animation team also played its part in highlighting the Korean idols' faces. Kang says they all drew inspiration from K-dramas and had Korean animators involved in the film. 'One of the animators, Sophia [(Seung Hee) Lee], was instrumental in figuring out certain eye shapes and mouth shapes – just rounding the corners of the mouth gave it this more Korean feeling. For some reason, it was just so strange. Once we figured that out, it opened up the movie, and we were like, 'This is it. This is our look'.' Lighting was challenging for the team, as they tried to find the perfect placement for the most appealing angles and lighting. Kang recalls it being quite a journey, as well as more difficult than they expected. 'The way we lit the faces was challenging because our faces just look different,' says Kang. 'Our models look different as well. It was a challenging and different undertaking for our lighters to figure out. So, it was interesting.' KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - When they aren't selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use ... More their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise. ©2025 Netflix When it came to the K-pop music aspect, their team collaborated with THEBLACKLABEL, owned by the legendary producer Teddy Park, who has worked with K-pop's biggest names, including BIGBANG, G-DRAGON, BLACKPINK, and 2NE1. Adding to the K-pop connections, the film secured the popular K-pop girl group, TWICE, to sing the main title song, 'Takedown.' Kang and Appelhans were initially naive about how much of the music would be featured in the movie. They discussed it being a non-traditional musical, which meant that there wouldn't be a lot of singing involved in the storytelling. Things changed, and the music became an integral part of the story. 'Through the help of our executive music producer [Ian Eisendrath], who comes from a more musical background, we quickly realized some of the songs were taking up two minutes or so of screentime, they had to carry the story,' Kang says. 'It forced us to answer a lot of tricky story questions when finding the lyrics out.' They created these documents for the songwriters, detailing the scene and how the characters were feeling and why. The musicians and songwriters would then come up with music and lyrics that matched perfectly with the story, keeping it in the K-pop style. KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - When they aren't selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use ... More their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise. ©2025 Netflix Although everything seemed to fit into the K-pop world, one thing was missing: a fandom name. Kang reveals the Saja Boys fans are called the Pride, but never came up with one for Huntrix. Kang says, 'We will leave it up to the fans.' KPop Demon Hunters premieres tomorrow, Friday, June 20, on Netflix.
CBC
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Why Elio's theme of alien abduction is the perfect metaphor for loneliness
Domee Shi, the Oscar-winning Canadian animator and director behind Bao and Turning Red, is back with a new Disney-Pixar movie, Elio. It's about an 11-year-old lovable oddball named Elio who's totally obsessed with space. When his dream of getting abducted by aliens comes true, he suddenly finds himself with a lot of responsibility. In an interview with Q guest host Talia Schlanger, Shi says the theme of alien abduction was the perfect entry point to explore the loneliness that many kids face growing up. The story was loosely inspired by co-director Adrian Molina's childhood experience of being raised on a military base, but Shi and co-director Madeline Sharafian also drew on their own experiences of being artsy kids who struggled to find their place in the world. "A lot of us have been that weird lonely kid in our hometowns who felt like no one really wanted them or understood them, and they were dreaming to find a place where they could belong," Shi says. "For me, that was animation school…. For Elio, that's that moment when he gets abducted by aliens." The movie opens with a young Elio visiting a space museum with his aunt Olga, whom he starts living with after the death of his parents. Shi says Elio's passionate interest in space is what helps him heal from his grief and isolation. "I think we knew from the beginning that that was going to be his quirk and that was going to be his obsession, but it took a while to get under the hood and understand why he wanted to get abducted by aliens so badly," she says. "What was he trying to escape from? That required a lot of looking internally within ourselves, but also we talked to child psychologists [and] we did some research on how children deal with grief, with the scenario of losing both your parents." After getting abducted by aliens, Elio finds an escape from his loneliness by going to outer space where he believes he'll finally find a place where he belongs. WATCH | Official trailer for Elio: "He does want to belong somewhere, but deep down, he is kind of running away from this deep, dark fear of feeling [that] there might be something wrong with him," she says. For each of her films, Shi says she's had to dig up personal experiences from her past to craft a relatable story. "It just makes our films so much richer and I think that's the reason why Pixar films resonate with audiences all over the world," she says. "I think in order to make a film that resonates, you have to be brave. Like Elio does, you have to open yourself up, you have to be vulnerable and show a part of yourself that maybe you're a little bit embarrassed to show the world." The full interview with Domee Shi is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. She also explains why it's nearly impossible for her to write a one-dimensional mother figure. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
