Nimona Review
Streaming Movie Review - Netflix
In Arthurian legend, the Knights of the Round Table had a code of chivalry to which they were bound. It included honor, honesty, valor, and loyalty. Yes, one had to be strong enough to face enemies, but there was more to being a knight than brute strength. Caring for the weak and speaking the truth even when it could be costly have always been considered marks of chivalry. Directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane bring these ideals to life in their adaptation of “Nimona,” currently streaming on Netflix.
In a futuristic medieval society, Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) has risen to the rank of knight despite being a commoner. When his knighting ceremony goes awry and he is framed for the murder of Queen Valerin (Lorraine Toussaint), he must hide from the kingdom as well as his partner Ambrosius Goldenlion (Eugene Lee Yang), fellow knight, Sir Thoddeus Sureblade (Beck Bennett), and The Director (Frances Conroy). In order to clear his name, he has to team up with Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz), a shape shifter who many in the kingdom consider a monster.
This is a genuinely wonderful movie. The animation is interesting and brings ND Stevenson’s graphic novel to life in a spectacular manner. The graphic novel has a rather simple look to it, and I appreciate that the animators didn’t go overboard changing the look for the film. The color palette is lovely and they pulled out all the stops for the climactic fight in this. Nimona’s final form is truly astounding.
But the story is where this film shines. The reveals in it are fairly straightforward - I didn’t feel like there were any twists that I didn’t see coming - but even so, it has a heart that it wears on its sleeve and I loved it. Nimona and Ballister are both outcasts, but even within that dynamic, there is one who is a little more outcast, and it is a great way to teach the idea that hardship comes in levels and just because you are struggling, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have advantages that others might not have.
The voice work in this is phenomenal. I loved Beckett’s bro-y knight voice and Ahmed brought a sense of gravitas to his character. But the standout in this is absolutely Moretz. She delivers an absolutely stunning performance here, with her voice acting absolutely selling the character of Nimona brilliantly.
At one point in the movie, Nimona laments the feeling of being rejected so much that it makes her want to end things. The theme of being allowed to be your full, authentic self, even if that makes other people uncomfortable colors every frame of this film. Knights existed in the past to keep people safe and to seek out the truth. This movie does a beautiful job of showing that it is important for all of us to do the same for those in our lives.
This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on July 8, 2023.