Nimona (2023)
Director: Troy Quane, Nick Bruno
Screenwriter: Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor
Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy, Beck Bennett
Nimona opens on a setup that feels like the beginning of a joke: a solitary, brooding knight encounters a mischievous, shape-shifting teenager. But the story that unfolds is anything but predictable. With bold imagination and emotional clarity, Nimona transforms that initial premise into a moving, often hilarious exploration of friendship, identity, and belonging.
The film pairs two opposites who forge an unexpected and deeply affecting bond. Ballister Boldheart, voiced by Riz Ahmed, is a knight framed for the murder of his queen and forced into exile. Ballister’s character is shaped by a difficult past and a lingering feeling of not belonging; he finds rare comfort in his relationship with Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang), a tender element of the story that the film treats with refreshing frankness. Chloë Grace Moretz gives a rambunctious, magnetic performance as Nimona, the shape-shifting teenager whose chaotic energy dismantles Ballister’s guarded exterior and rekindles his hope.
Nimona can transform into anything she wishes: animal, beast, or fantastical hybrid. Most often she chooses the form of a punk-rock teen—piercings, pink pixie cut, and a love of destruction—which becomes a visual and narrative counterpoint to Ballister’s muted, controlled world. The film treats Nimona’s shapeshifting as more than a fantasy ability; it acts as an affecting metaphor for gender fluidity and the experience of transition. When Nimona says she would not be truly living if she could not change form, the line lands as a frank and humane articulation of identity and survival.
The film’s setting blends futuristic and medieval influences into a vibrant, distinctive look. Neon-lit screens, rock music, and cyberpunk touches sit comfortably alongside knights, castles, and chivalric codes. The aesthetic recalls the audacity of modern animated experiments: bright, saturated color palettes and imaginative worldbuilding that place a classic hero narrative into a contemporary, genre-bending landscape. Nimona’s pinks and neon tones frequently puncture Ballister’s cooler blues and greys, visually underscoring their emotional contrasts and eventual interdependence.
Adapted from ND Stevenson’s graphic novel, the film merges 2D-inspired character work with three-dimensional environments, creating a playful, geometric visual language that feels simultaneously contemporary and cartoonish. The production design layers textures and depth around expressive, flat-lined characters; it doesn’t slavishly reproduce the comic’s art but captures its spirit through color, movement, and attitude. Action sequences are kinetic and inventive, while quieter moments allow the characters’ vulnerabilities to surface.
Humor plays an essential role, balancing high-energy set pieces with heartfelt beats. The script uses wit and timing to expose character and theme rather than relying on constant gags. Chloë Grace Moretz’s voice work injects Nimona with a combustible, youthful irreverence that fuels both comedy and pathos. Riz Ahmed’s Ballister provides a grounded counterbalance: weary, wounded, and gradually opened by Nimona’s persistence. The soundtrack—anchored in rock sensibilities—amplifies the film’s rebellious spirit and helps carry the emotional currents through chase scenes, fights, and tender interludes.
What sets Nimona apart is its unflinching embrace of inclusivity. The film treats queer relationships and gender fluidity as integral, not incidental, elements of its story world. It never reduces these themes to tokenism; instead, it centers them in the narrative and lets them inform character motivations and conflicts. That emphasis gives the film cultural resonance in addition to its aesthetic inventiveness.
Overall, Nimona stakes out a distinctive place in modern animation. It combines bold stylistic choices with sincere emotional storytelling, delivering both laugh-out-loud moments and quiet reflection. Its visual palette functions as an emotional language, and its characters—flawed, funny, fierce—feel authentically drawn. Whether viewed as a joyful adventure or a thoughtful meditation on identity and acceptance, Nimona is a memorable film that expands what animated features can say and how they can look.
While other animated films may dominate awards conversation, Nimona deserves recognition for its originality and its willingness to tell a story about difference with humor and heart. Its core message is simple and powerful: embrace who you are, and let that truth break through the world’s expectations.
Score: 20/24
Written by Lamorna Peake