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Song of the Sea (2014)

★★★★½ — Song of the Sea (2014)

Tomm Moore's second feature as director, Song of the Sea arrived four years after his debut The Secret of Kells (2009), which had earned Cartoon Saloon an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, a remarkable achievement for a small independent studio based in Kilkenny. The film draws on Irish and broader Celtic mythology, particularly the selkie legend, and was produced as a co-operation between studios across Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Denmark, a fairly typical financing model for European animation working outside the Hollywood system. Moore would later complete what became known as his Irish Folklore Trilogy with Wolfwalkers (2020). Lisa Hannigan, who voices the mother, also contributed to the film's score, which leans heavily on traditional Irish musical forms.

Like watching a bedtime story. The artwork is absolutely stunning. I'd always considered Spirited Away as the best animated film but I think this might just take it. The story is a touching, emotional and gripping take on old gaelic folklore and it's heavily woven into the music, art style, story and the language. A lot of these themes will go over the head of a child but it's still a great family story to watch as a family. Very highly regarded. My girlfriend absolutely loved it but my 6 year old son wasn't interested at all.

Rating: ★★★★½ | Year: 2014 | Watched: 2025-04-20

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Where to watch (UK)

Stream: Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK

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