Nimona (2023)
★★★ — Nimona (2023)
Nimona began life as a webcomic by ND Stevenson, serialised between 2012 and 2014 before being collected as a graphic novel in 2015, where it picked up a National Book Award nomination and a devoted following. The film's road to screen was notably turbulent: it was originally developed at Blue Sky Studios (the Ice Age and Rio outfit), with production well underway before Disney's acquisition of Fox shut Blue Sky down entirely in 2021, seemingly killing the project. Annapurna Pictures and the UK-based visual effects house DNEG stepped in to rescue and finish it, a genuinely unusual production rescue for a feature animation. Directors Troy Quane and Nick Bruno had previously collaborated on Spies in Disguise (2019) for Blue Sky.
Nimona (2023), Netflix's animated adaptation of ND Stevenson's beloved graphic novel, arrives with a premise brimming with potential: a shapeshifting girl with chaotic energy teams up with a disgraced knight to clear his name in a medieval-futuristic kingdom. The film's visual identity is its strongest asset. Bold, graphic novel-inspired aesthetics blend seamlessly with fluid animation, creating a world that feels both timeless and refreshingly modern. Chloë Grace Moretz brings infectious mischief and surprising vulnerability to the titular Nimona, while Riz Ahmed grounds the story with earnest warmth as her reluctant partner-in-crime. The film tackles themes of identity, otherness, and institutional prejudice with genuine sincerity, and there's real heart in its central relationship. The action sequences are dynamic, the humour lands more often than not, and the emotional beats (when they hit) land with satisfying weight. It's clear the creative team cared deeply about this story and its messages. Yet for all its ambition, Nimona never quite ascends beyond "good." The pacing feels rushed in places, glossing over character development that might have made the stakes feel more earned. Some of the worldbuilding remains vague, and the villainy leans into familiar tropes without subverting them meaningfully. It's a film with a lot on its mind (acceptance, rebellion, found family) but not always the runtime to explore it all fully. A solid, visually distinctive animated fantasy that entertains without ever truly soaring. Nimona herself is a creation worth celebrating, and the film's heart is unmistakable, but it settles for competence over greatness. Still, in an era of safe, formulaic family fare, its willingness to be a little weird is commendable. Perfect for a weekend watch with younger viewers, though unlikely to join the animated canon's upper echelon.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2023 | Watched: 2026-04-06
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from United Kingdom: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) · Blue (1993)
More from the 2020s: Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025) · The Long Walk (2025) · Americana (2023)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
More family: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Wonder (2017) · Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anastasia (1997)
