Feral (2013)

Feral Review

Feral is a 2013 animated short film directed by Daniel Sousa. It’s a very artistic and gorgeous film.

A wild boy is found in the woods by a solitary hunter and brought back to civilization. Alienated by a strange new environment, the boy tries to adapt by using the same strategies that kept him safe in the forest. This is the kind of short film that thrives on its audio-visuals much more so than storytelling. The story is solid, but the visuals drive it for sure. The ending was a bit too ambiguous to me and the overall reading of the story is open for interpretation for better and for worse.

But the first half appealed to me quite a bit, though it was somewhat predictable in its plot beats. The movie is emotional in its tone and quite atmospheric. The scenes where the boy’s shape switches from animalistic to human were the most intriguing and artistic of the bunch. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, fluid and brimming with emotion and movement. The sound is also fantastic and the score is quite good too. It’s the type of film that will make you feel something in spite of its minimalist plot.

Feral is a very strong animated short that is simple and not particularly amazing in its basic plot, but it works because its tone is quite emotionally engaging and its visuals are both beautiful and admirably artistic.

My Rating – 4.2