Flow (2025): What we know so far About the Oscar-Nominated film

Fresh off its Golden Globe win and two Academy Award nominations, Flow is making history as Latvia’s most-watched film and Janus Films’ highest-grossing US release. Now, the acclaimed animated feature is set for its streaming debut, bringing its breathtaking visuals to an even wider audience.

Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, Flow is a dialogue-free journey following a solitary cat navigating a flooded world. Created entirely with Blender, its stunning animation and emotional depth have captivated critics and audiences alike.

With Oscar buzz and a real-life statue honoring its protagonist, Flow continues to break barriers. Keep reading for everything you need to know, and stay tuned for updates!

Release date & Where to Watch

Flow will make its streaming debut exclusively on Max in the US on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. It will air on HBO linear on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at 6:30 pm ET. The film is 84 minutes long and rated PG for peril and thematic elements.

It was released in US theaters on Nov. 22, 2024, and in Belgium on Jan. 15, 2025, by Le Parc Distribution. Madman Entertainment is set to release the film theatrically in Australia on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

What is the plot of Flow? 

In a world overtaken by rising waters, a solitary dark grey cat struggles to survive after a great flood devastates its home. After narrowly escaping a pack of dogs and a rushing tidal wave, the cat finds refuge on a sailboat occupied by a capybara. 

As they drift through submerged forests and ruins, they encounter other stranded animals—a ring-tailed lemur, a Labrador Retriever, and a white secretarybird—who join their journey in search of safety.

The cat’s survival instincts are tested as it learns to swim, hunts for food, and navigates treacherous waters. Along the way, the group rescues the stranded dogs despite initial hesitations, while the secretarybird, after regaining its ability to fly, ultimately departs toward a mysterious bright light. 

The floodwaters eventually recede, leaving the cat separated from its companions. After wandering alone, it is reunited with the lemur and capybara, and together, they recover their boat. However, new dangers emerge as another stampede of deer rushes through the forest. The cat follows them and discovers a beached whale, offering it comfort as the remaining animals gather.

In a post-credits scene, the whale is seen surfacing in the ocean, hinting at the ongoing cycle of survival and renewal.

Is There a Trailer for Flow?

The trailer for Flow introduces viewers to a visually stunning, dialogue-free animated journey. It begins with a solitary cat witnessing its home succumb to a massive flood, setting the stage for an epic adventure. 

The cat finds refuge on a boat alongside a diverse group of animals, including a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog. Together, they navigate through both natural and mystical realms in search of dry land. 

The animation showcases breathtaking landscapes and the evolving camaraderie among the animals as they face various challenges in their transformed world. The absence of dialogue emphasizes the universal themes of trust, courage, and unity in the face of adversity. 

Awards & Nominations

Flow is one of the most acclaimed films of the year, earning two Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best International Feature (Latvia). It made history as the first Latvian film to receive multiple nominations from major ceremonies and became only the third animated film ever nominated for Best International Feature.

The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim. It went on to win Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes, European Film Awards, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards. 

Notably, Flow became the first animated film since The Incredibles (2004) to win all three major critics' awards: the National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Additionally, Flow earned nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best International Feature at the Critics Choice Awards, Best International Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards, and multiple Annie, PGA, ACE Eddie, and Art Directors Guild Awards. 

Critics’ Reviews

On Rotten Tomatoes, Flow holds a 97% approval rating from 123 critics, with an average score of 8.5/10. The site's consensus states: "Thanks to its innovative animation and mature themes, going with this Flow proves irresistible." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted score of 86 out of 100, based on 23 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim."

Calum Marsh of The New York Times highlighted the film’s realism, stating, "the animals act like real animals, not like cartoons or humans, and that restraint gives their adventure an authenticity that, in moments of both delight and peril, makes the emotion that much more powerful." 

Jake Coyle of the Associated Press declared Flow "the best animated film of 2024," praising its "computer-generated animation" for enhancing its "dreamy, curiously real surrealism."

IndieWire’s Christian Blauvelt awarded the film an A rating, describing it as "brimming with sentiment but not sentimentality." He also compared its minimal dialogue and realistic animal portrayals to Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Production & Filming

Flow originated from Zilbalodis' 2012 short film Aqua, which explored a cat overcoming its fear of the ocean. The film, animated in Blender, took five and a half years to complete and features no dialogue, drawing inspiration from Jacques Tati and Future Boy Conan. 

Zilbalodis based the cat and dog on his own pets, while other animals were studied in zoos. The whale was redesigned to appear more mythical.

Produced with support from Latvian, French, and Belgian film organizations, animation was completed in France and Belgium. The sound design used real animal sounds, except for the capybara, which was voiced using baby camel sounds. The film’s score, composed by Zilbalodis, originally spanned seven hours, with 50 minutes featured in the final cut.

Behind the Scenes

Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, Flow was co-written by Zilbalodis and Matiss Kaza and produced by Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, and Gregory Zalcman. The film's soundtrack, composed by Zilbalodis and Rihards Zaļupe, was released by Milan Records on Nov. 1, 2024. Additionally, a board game inspired by the film launched in January 2025.