To me, one of the biggest details about this movie is that Ballister saved Nimona from herself at the end. He didn't save her from some big bad, he stopped her from ending her own life.
I gotta be honest here. This was THE VERY LAST THING I'd expect to see in a family-friendly animated movie. Suicide tends to be a very sensitive topic for me, and as a suicide attempt survivor, that scene caught me off guard. Such an incredibly well-done scene. 😢😢😢😢
Absolutely, even though that scene is kinda lighthearted, it made me cry because I have gone through that exact same conversation. People act like they care about what you might go through but they don't understand what hiding it is like. You are the person that needs to support me no matter what, not tell me to change myself for your convenience.
Fun Fact: The credits for the film has an entire section dedicated to everyone that has worked at Blue Sky, complete with Nimona shapeshifting into a squirrel. (Like their mascot, Scrat.) A bittersweet, but great note to end on. I'm glad they got the last laugh against Disney.
I know! The face that Disney deliberately tanked it sadly shocks me less than it should. They missed out on a massive gem, and I’m so glad Annapurna took that chance
Disney has never been a good company though. They made good movies by crushing their creatives into dust. Dreamworks was born from that frustration. In the 80s Disney was such a profit driven company it almost tanked its whole animation department and it took a lot to bring it back, only for them to run it into the ground again with their greed and laziness. And then you add to that the fact that their absolute greed over Mickey Mouse created the copyright hell we live in. They made it impossible for culture to continue growing by buying and copyrighting everything.
As someone who is nonbinary and adhd autistic, I can relate to Nimona so much. Being rejected and ostracized for who you are, the pain of being lonely for a long time. And the feeling of wanting to just end that pain. Her guttural scream at the end never fails to make me cry.
"Kids.. Little kids. They grow up believing that they can be hero if they drive a sword into the heart of anything different.. and I"M the monster?" is such a relevant line to our current landscape. If all you do is point fingers at others, no one will point the finger at you
I honestly think the last part works VERY differently in practice: If all one does is point fingers at others, it will 'justify' (or at least motivate) others to point fingers back at them... People often seem surprised when they face backlash from those they put down, yet insist on doubling-down on their hatred instead of looking in a damn mirror. This doesn't apply to every conflict but I can certainly think of several (personal, societal, and international) involving this hypocrisy.
@@finaldusk1821 THERE IT IS. When I finally figured out that if you force yourself and your thoughts and beliefs on others for long enough that they'll push back at some point, it opened my brain to a part of how power structures work. Both individually and socially. So when the marginalized push back against their oppressors, it astounds me that oppressors responding by the doubling down and making themselves to be the victims. It's wild, but not a lot of people can see the big picture that way.
I am not proud of that at all, but when I was like 10, I faced so much bullying, and there was another girl who was facing the same, and I tried that, the "if I point my finger too, then she'll be distracting them from me, if she's seen as weirder than me, then I won't be bullied as much" ... but it really doesn't work, and it's more worth it to stand together, at least you have a friend.
It is a line that gives me shivers. As well as her not knowing whether she just wants to let people drive a sword through her. I adore this movie so much
14:31 this film hurt me the most because, Yeah shes a fictional character and however old, shes a child, and she has thoughts like that?? then i realized that there are real children out there who think these same things. and none of that is fair.
Yeah I know what you mean. When I first read your comment I forgot that not everyone does experience that. It used to be far worse a couple of years ago but due to some life changes, those thoughts definitely quiet down. Whenever I watch this movie, I just see myself sometimes, especially with the “and sometimes, I just want to let them” comment.
Yea and its great that those kids can watch movies like this. I think it would have been amazing if I had movies like this when I was growing up, when I was hurting the most. I am happy for the newer generation regardless.
Important to note, when Nimona’s going for the sword at the end, she’s not attacking anything except for that one screen showing that commercial. Other than that, the only destruction occurring is a result of the knights’ REACTION to her. She only destroys parts of the town bc she’s getting knocked back by their attacks
Yeeesss! I love this detail. And everyone around is absolutely LOSING THEIR MINDS as if she's on a violent rampage, but she's literally just WALKING down the street. Except for, like you said, the commercial.
And the only reason she attacked the commercial was because it was telling kids that killing things like her would give them good things. She was fully justified doing that and seemingly nobody got hurt because of it
as a genderfluid person, the subway scene was so important. "it would be easier if you were a girl" "not everyone is as accepting as me" these are things people say to lgbt kids all the time. And the obvious metaphor for gender with her shapeshifting is pretty on the nose but also makes her so relatable. For CIS-Straight people she has an arc to become heroic, but this scene makes her heroic to LGBT people from the beginning. the fact that she refuses to compromise who she is for normalcy sake is already a heroic trait. She's already inspiring to some of us from the early scenes just for that. It reminds me of a quote from Blood Blockade Battlefront. "Even if I am faced with a thousand setbacks, it does not serve as an excuse to change the way I choose to live my life."
Thank you, this is super important! Especially because the original author is nonbinary. My whole family was excited for Nimona because of She-Ra, but with a trans wife and a nonbinary child Nimona was instantly incredibly important. We've watched it quite a few times now, even though I always cry.
I had Nimona come out rather early in my transition (before I had even started HRT) and there were so many scenes in it that were so powerful and helpful in that journey. It's also helped me explain the trans experience to the friends and family members I have that didn't quite get it at first. I am so happy that this movie exist, and I hope for more like it.
I heard somewhere once that "tradition is peer pressure from dead people" and dammit, I can’t help but agree. Using tradition as a basis for anything legal has never sat well with me, because it spits in the face of progress and often tramples the rights of others.
Just be careful that with progression you dont fuck up the rights others have by rite enjoyed their entire lives. Some things were rights before the modern interpretation of rights was thought up. Freedom of speech vs the "right to not be offended" (doesn't exist) for example.
Not all of tradition warrants reform or disposal, this is where wisdom comes into action…the wisdom to discern what does need to be reformed and what needs to be left alone for the right decisions. The problem I see with progressives as a conservative is the mindset of “everything goes”, regardless of the historical reasons that bolster the existence of such ideas because of many pervasive truths that influence or directly affect our lives; some things about us humans does not and will never change, as much as we like to think that it might…it just doesn’t. Discrimination, persecution, war, corruption of greed (not just monetary greed), etc. Think of the U.S. constitution and its amendments, why were the articles written as “amendments”? Because they were subject to change, albeit…the founding fathers had in mind that the people would install changes with extreme discretion directed by wisdom…thus, this is why the process of repealing or introducing new amendments is such a big and painstaking federal process; progression must be restrained and treated with immense consideration, lest we cause irreparable damages to ourselves because we have been too blinded by our desires for change…change merely for the sake of change. Yet, the opposite is also true…if conservatives subscribe to the idea that all of our traditions and historical ideas must be preserved at all cost for the mere sake of preservation, then we allow human corruption to take hold in our institutions with the assurance of public security. So, the quote “Tradition is peer pressure from dead people.”, is a false assertion of the traditional values we conservatives hold in high regard. We do not hold these truths that we believe without imperative reasons, because then…what’s the point? Indeed, it would just be peer pressure from our forefathers, but that isn’t the case. Again, revisiting our constitution…what would you say would become of that document if the idea of “everything goes” is applied to the constitution? It is all traditional, after all. Sometimes, tradition is not the problem…sometimes, more often than not, it is human individuals that inflict such evil; individuals are almost always subject to change throughout their lives and it can seesaw either way in the direction of good or evil. When folks highlight tradition as the sole catalyst of all of their problems, it just pains me to think they will refuse to sit down and reconsider what they’re doing.
The moment Ballister told Nimona that he sees her, I actually started sobbing. I got emotional a couple times before then, but that was the line that broke me. I'd kill to be told that by the people I used to trust.
For what it’s worth, I see you. I hope you have people in your life who you can trust now. If you don’t, I know how hard it can be, having felt like no one cared at one point myself, but there are people out there who will care and who you can trust. People who will see you like Ballister saw Nimona. You’re not alone ❤
I didn't even finish the movie the first time. I had to pause it and sob and rewind it a few times before I was willing to continue the movie and watch the ending.
I know this movie is a lgbtq+ icon (a well deserved one). But I gotta say this as an straight adult with diagnosed ADHD, and a pretty solid suspicion by several professionals about being on the spectrum, but you know... Not obvious enough to inspire pity, just so the people might recognize me as "different". The whole "have you tried being normal" and "sometimes feeling like letting them drive a sword through my heart" hit so close home that my wife thought I was having a panic attack based solely on my reaction. This movie is just home for anybody who has ever felt different and flagged by it. No matter how.
This movie while it is a very good allegory for being trans or LGBT+, also works as a general allegory for prejudice in general. I genuinely believe if anyone says they didn't get anything from this movie, they did and are just afraid to admit It, and that doesn't necessarily mean it's for negative reason either
To expand on this: I think almost everyone encounters crucial moments in their life where they might have done things one way, but someone 'lit them up' about being different or abnormal, and so they just conformed and never pursued what they viewed as good or special. Acceptance, believe it or not, affects everyone, which is why we should all strive for it.
That final guttural cry from Nimona when she’s in her final monster form, that was something you really Feel. Gets me every time. Edit: for those unaware, the comic this was adapted from was written by ND Stevenson, a trans creator
That scream was brilliantly designed bc if you heard that scream without context or you were told she was evil beforehand, it would sound like your standard godzilla scream. But if you know what's happening, elements of the sound mixing stand out differently, and all you hear is terrible pain.
It reminds me a lot of those recordings of Mitski screaming during drunk walk home, it’s just so full of rage, pain and sadness from the situation the person screaming is in but it’s strangely beautiful.
@@ragnar3434 Imo, it sounds painful even without the context, because there is clearly not just mixed "monster" screams, but a human scream as well, and that's what creates this distinction, that it's not really an evil "I will wreck this realm" roar, but a sheer scream of PAIN
Some folks asked me why us trans folks latch onto this movie so hard. It's not Nimona's identity that hits home, it's how she's treated. We get some of the most vile shit thrown at us daily, just existing is enough of a reason for someone who hates to want us dead and worst case scenario, if given the chance, they'll do it. We're human, we just want to exist, we want to have a job, a home, to be surrounded with loved ones, family, we aren't all that different at all. The scene in the train when Ballister 'suggests' it's be 'easier if you were a girl' is something a lot of trans and non-binary folks hear aaaaall the time and it's always excused with 'it's safer' or 'others aren't as accepting as me' and all it is is looking away from an uncomfortable topic and you're not actually helping us. The reason why so many of us are so outspoken, aggressive, violent in our reactions, in our emotions, is because to a lot of people we will NEVER be enough, we will NEVER fit in and be accepted, we're all just 'dirty queers' at the end of the day so why not just, fight back and throw a couple punches of our own? It's a cycle of being told we're not worthy of love, of life and fighting back as much as we can because some of us just, give up sadly and those lives lost should not be in vain. THAT is why Nimona resonates with us.
“The world pushes us without mercy, and when some of us push back, the world points and cries ‘evil!’” - Mewtwo (scrapped quote from one of the movies)
As someone who used to talk like that, I used to say "why not just try and fit in?" because I thought that it would be easier and keep LGBTQIA+ people from being hurt. I figured, just be yourself indoors or something. But now I understand why that's not a helpful thing to say, because it's not like a jacket you can take off and put on. It's part of who you are. I'm sorry I used to say things like that, and I'm trying to be better now.
"the monster was people all along" No, the monster is prejudice. The monster is being taught as a child to hate and to bash all that is different, the monster is the violence and the extremes to which this reaches, the monster is the complacency of those who see and know this is wrong, adn do nothing about it. The monster is prejudice, and how it becomes a system, this movie isn't shy or unclear about it, and that's another reason as to why I love it
I love that this movie is just vague enough that it can apply to any prejudice too. Like, it's very, very obviously a lesson on accepting transgender people, but it can also apply to accepting any range of people outcast by society be it other LGBT people, or people of different ethnicities, or people just a little bit weirder than others. This movie is such an absolute work of art and is a message this world needs so, so, SO badly. Especially right now.
As a cis mostly straight dude, I'll admit that I found nimona's attitude towards ballister asking her questions to be a tad irritating at first. I thought "well that's not cool. he's asking questions, he's trying to understand. yes it would be better if he didn't have to ask them, but we can't get to a world where those questions DON'T need to be asked if those questions don't get answered first." But then I thought about it for longer than literally 3 seconds, and I realized that she only acted that way when he asked her "what are you?". When he asked "what does it feel like?", that's when she opens up. She's hostile towards him when he's interrogating her existence, but she opens up when he interrogates her experience.
lol i love “mostly straight” as a fully queer not cis person im so happy that the movie was able to demonstrate that in a way that successfully challenged that whole notion of interrogating versus listening and asking questions
You could work through your internalised LGBTphobia if you wanted to. No one is "mostly" straight. Both heterosexual and homosexual are concepts that are defined as being 100%. Everything else can be bi, pan, omni, poli or ace and/or aro. And it is OK to be and say those words. If we do not use them, people unalive themselves. So it is important that we do. I do not care if you get mad at me. Please, accept yourself as you are and help others be OK. We are all in this together.
@@NatManzano I would rather someone describe themselves as mostly straight and mean it, rather than someone say they were bisexual or gay and only use the term because some internet person said that not doing so is bad for people. People are smart, and there is in fact a noticeable difference between 'straight' and 'mostly straight'. Besides, doesn't the Kinsey Scale exist? Sometimes 'bisexual' just doesn't cut it if you're not 50/50 split. If straight and gay are absolutes (and I don't think they should be) that would probably make 80% of all people some variation of bisexual, making it an incredibly poor descriptor. It would mean almost nothing - it could mean a person might be very into you, or not at all, and there would be no way to tell just by the label. Not that we should be trying to pick partners just by labels rather than treating everyone as individuals in the first place, but still. Why can't 'mostly straight' be an appropriate synonym for 'slightly bisexual' if it is more accurate than just 'straight' or 'bisexual'?
@@maldambao6126 yes, except being mostly vegan does not make it sound like vegan people are wrong, and in this case it makes it sound like being bisexual is a bad thing.
Alan called out hearing Chloe's voice inside the Kaiju scream- one of my fave sound design details in this film during the Kaiju fight is any characters percieving Nimona from the outside hear the monster sound design first, but when we shift to Ballister's perspective (someone who took the time to know her) chasing Nimona through the streets, he hears Nimona's human voice first before the monster sounds cuts in to blend
To have a theme as strong as wishing you were dead because you don't fit in to the society you are a part of is one of the bravest things to do in what is still family film. Nimona is such a beautiful film and I was very surprised by it, thank you for touching on it and talking about it.
We NEED films like this. So many people, everyday people, children even, deal with s!!c!dal ideation and feelings of being rejected and alone every single day and "family movies" as much as I love them are afraid to explicitly touch on those topics because it isn't "family friendly". What family is this for? What family hasn't seen pain? Just as much as we need safe easy movies we also need real movies like this, to let young people realize that they are seen and that what they are feeling is valid.
@@aiiiia9971I'm one of those people who attempted when I was a child. This movie probably would've made me feel seen if I had seen it when I was a kid.
Fun Fact!!! Eugene Lee Yang from the Try Guys is the voice of Ambrosius!! He worked specifically as a VA on this movie and helped with it due to the message of the movie and how he related to it!!
@@Alegriacaptions honestly the duality of her as the sweet princess Snow White and the gremlin of chaos that is Nimona XD but seriously I love that movie, I h ate that the marketing did it so dirty that so many people just are like 'ew that fatphobic movie??' when its literally the opposite!!
@@mountain_dreams yeah it's crazy. But Snow White is a strong character, they nailed her and her character development. I also like how the step mother is the big bad, but she's not so central imo, it's more about Red Shoes and the dwarfs, and the theme of beauty and perception and how it affects you on the long run...
6:58 In real life there are so many Ballisters who think they're being "accepting" and "progressive" whilst doing the bare minimum. What has Ballister done for Nimona at this point in the movie that no one else has done? He hasn't killed her (not for lack of trying) and he's allowed her to help him. And that's basically it. He considers himself "accepting" for that. Nimona knows it's bullshit because he doesn't accept her being a shapeshifter yet. She also knows that this is the best she's got at the moment. It's sad. It's also very real.
Ballister's arc was very interesting in this movie and I really liked it. He had a lot to learn even though he was a "good guy" and unfairly prosecuted, he also needed to realize that he had some serious blind spots as a result of how he was brought up. His relationship with Nimona was able to teach him how to be the kind of person he wants to be
Can you please do a couples therapy between Ballister and Ambrosius there are so many layers between them as characters and their relationship when shit hits the fan.
Huge endorsement of this! Ballister and Ambrosius are such a great example of two characters who deeply care about one another from start to finish of the story, but who are pulled apart by the circumstances.
I know you giggled pointing out that the camera moved around him to show he's changing perspective, but pointing out that kind of detail is actually very fun and informative! I appreciated it very much.
Omg stop. I’ve been hoping we would get a Nimona video! I sob every time we get to the end. My 6 yr old asked why she turned into a monster at the end and I told her “The sadness she felt on the inside from being rejected and hurt wrapped around her outside and made her look scary. She had such big feelings that she couldn’t hold them inside anymore.” 🥺 This movie is such an amazing gem full of funny and heartbreak and it’s just so so good.
We watched this movie with our 8 y/o daughter, with me thinking this would just be a fun movie. When we got to the near end when she went dark and destructive, she said, "She's doing all this because she couldn't take it anymore," sadly. I was amazed and crying that she actually understood
For the one who doesn't know, Nimona is also a pretty explicit metaphor of being trans. The author of the original comis, ND Stevenson, is trans. And being genderqueer myself, this movie does such a good job with it. Especially the scene when Bal asks her if she would die if she wouldn't shift and Nimona says that she wouldn't die, but she certainely wouldn't live. I felt that.
In that scene, right as she says that line, the transgender pride colours (white pink blue) are very clearly visible in the background. You can see it in this video at 18:09 .
@@kaniamia If you look at the stained glass in the background of a lot of different scenes, you can see a multitude of different pride flags. The trans flag is the most noticeable, but in that same scene the other window is the rainbow flag! I think I've also seen a nonbinary flag, genderqueer flag, and maybe the ace flag? Not sure about the last one, but they are all over throughout the movie!
Given how heavy that element is to Nimona's character I'm kinda disappointed they didn't spotlight or discuss that scene specifically or the allegory in general at all in this video. A lot of people can relate to NImona for a variety of reasons and those other takes are valid, but given everything going on right now I think spotlighting the trans allegory of the film in particular is deeply relevant
@@troikas3353 To be fair, Alan and Jon aren't trans so I understand if they felt they didn't have the knowledge or right to speak about those elements of the movie. Although, I do agree that it would've been welcome, if they had at least mentioned it.
When I was a child, I was grilled and punished by my teacher and the school for something I didn’t do. My father defended me, but because I was scared, I admitted to it anyway. Eventually leading to me admitting I lied about being guilty of what I was accused of just to make it all stop. I was 10 or 11 at the time. My father apologized for what happened. To this day, I have a very strong reaction to being accused of something I did not do. I refuse to take responsibility for someone else’s mistakes. I handle it much better than I used to. But I still have the internal feeling of this defensive anger when it happens. Nimona made me, a 30 year old man, feel noticed. Even for a moment. And I really appreciate that.
One thing that really yanks my heartstrings is Nimona’s theme song. She has a leitmotif you can hear throughout the movie, but the one that plays specifically during the flashback before the climax is hauntingly beautiful. Emphasis on haunting.
One of the most powerful lines on this film for me was when ambrocious was confronting the director and said "And what if we're wrong? What if we've always been wrong?". Such a simple concept to understand but many people don't even give it thought, they are so invested in what their perception of "what's right" is that they don't even stop to think about the damage they're doing. They shield themselves by saying they're right, but what if they're not? if there was the slightest chance that they're wrong, then how could they justify doing so much damage to those that are different? This hits specially hard when you were one of those kids that were taught so many many awful things, so many awful beliefs rooted in hatred for things we didn't even try to understand, and with time you come to realize how much damage you've done, and start to wonder if it would be worth it even if you were right...
I fully agree. If I ever catch myself shutting people down, I immediately try to go "what if?" and assume I could be wrong. Like everyone I have my fair share of trauma and it has usually been caused by someone's apathy. It has made me feel like an outsider my whole life, but it gave me a different opinion than many of my peers growing up. I saw things they often couldn't and taught me that just because a journey is different doesn't make it wrong. As a teen my favorite poem was from Robert Frost. "Two roads diverged in a forest and I took the path less traveled by. And that has made all the difference." The full poem is about how a journey can change you and even while you might not travel the popular course, it is still a part of your experience.. that it matters. You can't always take back your actions, but you can own what they teach you. I used to use that line all the time to give me strength when I felt alone. Used to repeat it to myself to feel some self control. But I am obviously imperfect. Because of my own journey I can be overly opinionated on small stuff, as if I have to prove myself. And I too have hurt others. One day I was being really unfair to someone.. and I didn't realize it. But on this particular day they said to me "Why is it wrong for me to be different? Did you ever stop to think that we might not be the same? You think you have me all figured out, but what if you're wrong?" And that line flashed in my head. "and that has made all the difference.." A line I use to validate who I am. It caught me off guard. In that moment I had been called out and had caught myself not respecting a person's differences just because I thought my concept of it was right. I hadn't even meant offense but suddenly I realized that I was trying to force my path on this person, but that I hadn't even left them the space to show me why their "and that has made all the difference" mattered. So now any time I noticed someone not being given a voice, I try to go "yeah, but what if.." I can't say it's some magic technique that has fixed everything for me, but it has made me so much happier. It's such a a small change but when you stop going "this is the way things are" and instead go "this is the way it probably is.." Well, you start seeing things you didn't believe before. It leaves room for someone else to get involved, even in simple stuff. It leads to more discussion and more understanding. My core belief on something might not change, but how I treat the issue is more well rounded and inclusive. For example, if someone goes "you never clean the house anymore" that can make you feel defensive. But if you stop and go "but what if?" Then you might also go "well.. when was the last time I did the dishes though?" It makes sense.
Nimona's scream and Joy's "Stop!" at the end of Everything Everywhere All At Once are etched in my mind as maybe the best acted single utterances (and sound editing) I've ever heard.
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE FOR MONTHS, LET'S GOOOOOOO!!! I was seriously considering flying out to America just to tell these guys to watch the damn movie, IT'S HERE!
@@axelsjolander3688 For months? By the time I finished watching it the first time, I was hoping that they'd cover it here, but afraid that this was something that just pushed my buttons, not something with greater appeal.
That scream resonates so hauntingly for anyone who has been there. That place doesn't care how old you are; I was 10 the first time. I've come a long way since, but I'll never forget. Never lose sight of compassion and empathy.
That final hug between Balister and Nimona, when she is trying to stand but is just so emotionally exhausted and visiblely physically injured, and she tries to walk to Balister but just collapses into his arms as he rushes in to catch her❤ 🥹 those few seconds have done something to my brain, and I'm not sorry about it. I need a hug now 🫂
Thank you thank you thank you!! This is so representative not just of the LGBT+ representation but also discrimination against disabled people or those who are considered different. It really stuck with me because I am both bisexual and disabled and I’ve also dealt with isolation and ridicule like Ballister and Nimona have. I’ve had dangerous thoughts but then I realized how lucky I was to have such a supportive family and friend group. I know there are people out there who don’t and to those people: you’re not alone. ❤ You’re seen 💜
Hey. I'm also disabled in both ways and just not straight in any way, where's one able to buy a support system? 'cause even with free healthcare that stuff isn't free apparently.
Something important to me about the scene at 15:05 - you talk about Nimona's character turn of realizing she had one positive example of someone seeing her for her, but I don't think that's the only reason it connects for her in that moment. When Ballister initially says "let's leave together" she's all for it, but once she sees Ballister so defeated about Ambrosious thinking of him as a villain, her perspective changes in order to help Ballister. Because she cares about him so much and wants him to be happy, she's able to see the one example of someone's perspective changing, which heals her too.
22:44 RE: Tonal disparity - I think it totally makes sense here. I don't know what it would mean in psychology terms. But as someone that identifies a lot with Nimona, that jumping from highs to lows is totally accurate. Part of it is performative and social. It's living such a terrible reality while also wanting to connect, and so needing to mask (what would be a socially unsavory reality to others) with humor. Making yourself digestible, while balancing your own craving for honest connection. Like involuntarily starving yourself and learning to live with the hunger pangs, and then the people you finally meet wonder why you're just so ravenous.
if it did I feel like a lot of theaters would have sudden emergency water damage issues to take care of if it did lol. Jokes aside I wholeheartedly agree, I just don't enjoy the movie theater experience as much as I did as a child, watching movies at home is way more enticing in today's world of on demand streaming lol. But Nimona? I'd have camped out for a midnight release if it had gotten one.
Nimona was easily the best animated movie of 2023. When she tried to take herself out and she lets out that agonizing scream, I just broke down. Thank you so much for covering this, Internet Dads! 🥺😊
This movie is a great example of that one quote “A child not embraced by the village, will burn it down to feel it’s warmth” Also I love that you guys are reviewing this movie. I had a feeling you would :).
I am a 35 years old grown a** man, but I am not afraid to admit that I cried both times I watched this movie. It is sooo incredibly powerful, while being fun and unforgettable. ❤
Nimona makes me cry every time 😭, it's so damn good. I hate that society is so touchy right now that we can't talk openly about suicide/ideation and how it affects people. Wanton violence is all over the place, but heaven forbid we say the "s" word...ridiculous. I appreciate y'all talking about this movie
Annapurna definitely did Blue Sky justice. I'm so glad this film got a second chance and had so many thought provoking messages. Big metaphors/analogies to fearmongering and propaganda against minorities, using fear to control, the victors writing the history books, use of excessive force, maintaining tradition/the status quo at all costs, gaslighting, and hiding the parts of yourself that aren’t "normal" enough for others’ comfort, among others. It’s pretty spectacular.
19:15 I think it's really important that we also hear a lot of *Ballister's* voice as she breaks down. He wasn't trying to be cruel, but it shows the damage we can do even unintentionally. I think back to Zootopia and the part where Judy and Nick separate after the comments she makes to the public. It's not just about not being part of the problem, but in coming to really understand people and be part of the solution. It inspires me to be less callous and "small minded" with my questions. To treat people like people. There's many minority groups now that growing up I was sheltered from any knowledge of. It's not their job to answer every little question I have. It's not their job to have to defend their own existence to me. I have the internet and resources that I can educate myself. And when they talk to me, I can listen. I can learn.
This. All of this. It's why I say I'm learning, not "woke." (Plus a 50 year old white guy saying it is just wrong.) There's always more to learn. If I'm not learning, then I'm not helping
if i had had this movie when i was a little kid i could have pointed at the sword scene and said "that. that is what i'm feeling, like everyone wants to drive a sword through my heart so why don't i just do it for them". but i didn't have nimona. and it took a long time before i was able to communicate effectively enough for my adults to realize i needed real help. i'm so glad kids have nimona. that they have a way to show their adults how they're feeling when it gets dark and scary in their heads
I desperately need a physical copy of this movie. Like, it should be a crime for a movie to be this good, but unable to be in my physical movie collection. Let me give you my money, Netflix!!!!
I remember crying when I first saw this movie because Nimona reminded me so much of myself. She wants to fit in, she wants people to see her as she is and accept her for it. But the society she lives in and the society we live in are the same. People are so prejudiced that they'd rather judge everyone, and find them faulty, instead of accepting people and their life choices. She resonated so firmly, and it felt like I had finally found a kindred spirit. And now, seeing all your comments, I realize there are more people out there like me than I thought. So thank you guys, for making yourselves known.
Icry every time she says that line " I dont know whats scarier, the fact everyone wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes I want to let them " it's strikes me as a queer person ( specific bi and a trans woman ) because I just want to be loved and accepted for who I am, but knowing I have to be secretive with some people, not tell them who I really am or they might freak out on the mild end to get violent on the worse end or that any time I even talk online I have a significant chance of some jack ass harrassing me, doxing me, or any number of other things, it terrifies me to no end, and sometimes I do just want it to end, idk how well I could manage it without the fact I do have great friends, and an amazing boyfriend, even with all that some days it does feel to overwhelming to take, so this movie cuts deep and it's so cool to see you guys react to it.
It honestly disappoints me that Cinema Therapy didn't brush on any of the many queer elements of Nimona. If these two cishet men didn't feel capable doing so, they could've brought a guest in as they've done in the past. Nimona is an unapologetically queer film, in text and subtext. Even just the conception of Nimona by transmasc creator Indy Stephenson, to the very gender-bending elements of Nimona as a person, that element of Nimona's story is really missing in this video.
@WrenderUntoTheDM yea, sadly I don't think either of them felt up to it, there is clear signs they both understand it, but they seem uncomfortable not in the homophobic way but in a out of there depth way, neither of them are queer they don't know the experience besides media and maybe friends or family talking about it, I think they where just to worried about saying something wrong than anything, it does suck tho.
I haven't seen this mentioned yet but this was based on a comic series by ND Stevenson and was his way of exploring his identity, which came to embody a gender transition which is why Nimona is a shapeshifter and speaks in such allegorical tones that hint at this journey. ND is also the one who spearheaded the reboot of SheRa which has become one of the most recent LGBTQIA+, neurospicy and disability representative stories in animation which we also see in Nimona. ND's work is worth checking out, both the original comic (which has a lot of differences, but holds true to the same narrative heartbeats) and SheRa. He's a wonderful writer and storyteller and all the things you complimented about BlueSky and the director also belong to and should be given credit towards ND for his pivotal influence and personal journey that shaped this story from the ground up. I hope in years ahead we get to look back and see this film as one of the pieces of media and storytelling that had a positive influence on people in our real world the way it did on Ballister, so that everyone gets to safely and happily be who they are. 💜🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈💜
9:25 this part had me crying. When I first watched this film I wondered why I connected to this character do much. Then I realized, she is an amazing representation of teenage girls who went through trauma. Obviously she doesn't represent all of us, but she really is how I and so many of the teenage girls I knew acted. Love this character
I also felt like, especially when it came to the moment of Nimona making the decision to end it, it’s being told your whole life that you’re the bad guy, and that destroying you is what can make someone good. Like a last chance to be seen as doing the “right” thing, to be liked/approved of by other people.
being forced to conform or feeling constant pressure to conform by society just to be treated like a person is the cause of a lot of people’s trauma is such a powerful and painful thing to realise I was six and I was apparently a monster too because I’m neurodivergent I was so scared of being treated poorly I stopped trying to be myself at all. Now I’m an adult relearning that I’m allowed to be myself but my childhood is dead. the little girl who loved herself before the world told her she didn’t deserve to exist is gone now and I’m here trying to pick up the pieces and hopefully help others avoid the pain I still feel. Nimona made me sob cause I’ve been in those dark places and more stories like this need to be told stories with purpose that tell kids as long as you aren’t hurting anyone it’s okay to be yourself ❤❤
Another movie that helped me out of the darkest 3 months of my life and made me realize I wasnt really alone, reacted to the two still motivating me to finish college to be a child therapist... Thank you both for reacting to Nimona. :)
@@Finn-41 Wonka was a big one. It helped reawake the childlike magic I lost some time ago. It was personal, since Willy Wonka was my baby steps as a performer.
Thank you for calling this an important movie (not in those words but the sentiment was there at the end) And thank you for covering it.. This movie covers so many bases, touches on so many truly important themes but does it with an unbelievably soft touch and it hits so much harder because of it. I've watched a lot of reactions to this and so many of them go "You go Girl!!!" when Nimona says "I'm Nimona' to the several times she is asked "What are you?" But rather than being the "none of you business" response that so many people read it to be, the simple fact is she has this response because SHE doesn't know. We are humans, We know we are human and that is a part in the tapestry of our existence. We are male. female, somewhere in between, Gay, straight, somewhere in-between or neither. We have a good idea of what we are from all the definitions around us. But Nimona, to her knowledge is the only being of her kind. We know she is at least 1000 years old she could easily be 10,000 or a million or has existed for ever (for what ever that means). We also know we have never seen her original or default form. The earliest we see her (the true well scene) she comes into shot mid transform and becomes the small bird. We never see what she was before that. Even the Little girl form was an instinctive reaction to seeing Gloreth and another attempt to fit in and failing. For all we know She could simply be a being of pure energy that can conjure forms from thin air (it was explained in the comic that she destroys the current one and immediately creates the next neatly sidestepping the conservation of mass problem !!) The point is she doesn't KNOW what she is. She doesn't KNOW what 'wrong' with her. Nothing is wrong with her, obviously, but that doesn't help you when nothing you do or try seems to work... I found me self resonating with this very strongly. I self diagnosed with autism at the late age of 50 (several professionals have since confirmed this in casual conversation. Me:" Do you think I might be Autistic" Them "Well, DUH!" ) For most of my life I've not fit in. I found I could not make social satiations work as they were meant to. I'd follow the rules (as I could discern them) but Id fail and be shunned, called names, stuffed through hedges, beat up, lose friends (especially when it came to intimate relationships) Then I realised I was most likely Autistic and everything just fell in to place. It explained pretty much every awkward failure after failure. Explained why nothing worked right. It was a revelation.. Nimona is in a similar boat because she has no clue what or why she is like she is. Never even encountering anything remotely similar. It's why she reacts the way she does because the " I am what I am" answer is the only defence she has. And while self acceptance, which is the result of " I am what I am" is a good thing Nimona is not there, nor can she be till she gets some answers or society stops literally demonising her.
Nimona is obviously a trans allegory, but it also works with other communities. For example, I'm autistic and so is my oldest son. Would it be "easier" if we just pretended to be neurotypical? Yes, for neurotypical people, but it's actually hard for autistic people to mask and pretend to be neurotypical. So we'll continue being our neurodiverse selves and it's up to other people to accept us for who we are - not to force us to pretend to be someone else to make things easier for them.
i think thats why is so important to let creators make stories about their experience and who no matter if you are part of tha community or not we can all relate. ND Stevenson is an amazing artist (They have also work in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) and her experience as Non-binary and as trans is show in this movie and in the original comic, but the amazing thing about great authors and amazing stories is that they can not only show you a mirror of tha sociaty we live in but also make us relate to other groups we are not are part of.
I have Auditory Processing Disorder, Mixed Expressive Receptive Language Disorder (MERLD), ADHD, autism, and probably OCD. I am biracial (half white half black) and grew up going to a predominantly white school. I’ve felt different a lot. This is painfully relatable to everyone.
Something important about Nimona is that it doesn't dumb down, euphemize, or turn into a metaphor the things it's talking about. There's an obsession with making "heavy" topics like S-----e ideation or even more complex like police violence "palatable," to young audiences when these topics come up (see: zootopia). But the fact is that children struggle with them, and their struggles don't come with an age appropriate understanding. The only people it's upsetting to, to see a child on screen struggle with these things, are the adults who've projected an innocence onto children that those children will never live up to. For me as a child one of the most important examples of this was Lilo and Stitch
2:25 You're absolutely right, and what's even worse is they didn't even think to flip the middle one to make it less obvious. Granted, from what I've heard, this was a movie that was barely able to be finished due to jumping across studios, so I'm definitely willing to overlook these things.
I’ve been following this creator since I was in middle school and got the Nimona book as a gift - the creator has changed my life in more ways than one. I didn’t know a lot of things about myself at that time, but looking back I now know that I kept rereading Nimona for a reason. Nimona was basically with me throughout my journey of discovering my gender identity and what it all means to me to be me. The first scene you covered with Ballister and Nimona was really important to me. The scene basically prepared me for how my loved ones could’ve reacted to me coming out - confusion, defensiveness, trying their best to understand but questions feeling more like insults, etc. The whole story was basically helping me understand before I even knew what there was to learn about myself. And throughout the story, seeing Ballister not only learn to accept Nimona, but to also defend her even against his own loved ones - every time I’ve read the book and watched the movie, I can’t help but just feel that kind of love that Ballister has for Nimona. Thank you so much you guys for covering this amazing and loving story ❤
I’ve heard people saying that Nimona as a character, is like Autistic coded or something. Like, her being different than everyone, and being judged because of it, is like an allegory for autism, and…I agree. Especially the line of “why don’t you be more human, more normal” That hits hard. Like, as an autistic person, it is hard to feel connected and understood by people who are not on the spectrum…man. Anyway, great video as always you two!
I have the Nimona graphic novel and there is something to be said about the creator's mindspace when comparing both, I'm glad that they seem to be in a brighter place
"I don't know what's scarier; the fact that everyone in this kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes, i just want to let them." that one hurts. every. single. time. on a level too deep for me to reach.
THANK YOU for covering this movie, I requested it in some of the comments! I love this movie so much not only cause of its wonderful world concept, its shapeshifter main character but the deep cut topics like labels and unaliving thoughts, something that i think needs to be talked about more. When you call someone a monster, that's what they'll be, and they'll never get a chance to change cause that labeling convinced themselves they would never amount to anything more.
I love that i have come so far into my self love journey that nimonas line of "i dont know whats scarier. That half of the kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart or that sometimes i just want to let them." Used to make me sob cause it was too relatable and now i just hug myself and journal whenever im feeling that way to remind myself that im allowed to feel not ok sometimes and that I deserve the life i want🥰
"There's always hope but it may not be the hope that you're hoping for, it may not be what you're expecting or wanting but there's always a way of finding...how can I make peace with what is and spend my energy on what I can focus on." I really needed this message today ❤
I absolutely loved this movie! Queer representation, great acting, and a compelling story that actually had me crying at the end. Nimona is such an amazing character, and I related to her alot. ^^
I really like how they don't slap the viewer in the face with the homosexual representation, it's shown as a natural part of the world as it should be.
I adore Nimona. It is a wonderful movie that uncovers the inner feelings of those who are rejected by society and how understanding and love can change people for the better. You two gentlemen did a great job on this.
Im so glad you guys covered this movie. Idk 100% if this movie was meant to be a metaphor for gender identity, but i interpretted it that way. As someone whos nonbinary, Nimona was portrayed PERFECTLY. Even the subtle comments of confusion from Ballister where hes like "how did you end up like this?" "Cant you just be a normal girl?" its something you hear so often as an nb person. I understand why people may not completely understand it, but its just one of those things that really makes you feel a divide with others. Like it creates the idea of a "you" and a "them". Which can be very isolating to experience. So its refreshing for that to be the crux of the story [metaphorically speaking] And Ballister vocalising it so directly "I see you, and youre not alone".
To answer your question, yes, it is about Gender Identity and especially LGBTQIA+ identities. Nimona is based on a graphic novel made by Nate Stevenson, a Trans Masc person who created She-Ra. It was 100% intentional that Nimona is Trans coded. Also, Nate wrote Nimona during a time he was struggling with his gender dysphoria and before he knew he was Trans. Nimona was a character he put a lot of his feelings as a Trans person in while writing. There is even a Trans flag visible in one shot behind Nimona when she talks about how not shifting means she wouldn't be living. The arrow scene basically. So yeah, you are 100% correct!
im cishet and i have a lot of lgbtqia+ people in my vicinity. and i always thought of myself as pretty understanding and open. then i watched this movie, specifically the arrow and train scene and thought "oh god. im a dumbass!" because i recalled having asked similiar questions. things like "when did you know" "what makes/made you sure" and things like that. only after this movie i realized how these questions could hurt someone. i still mess up from time to time but im learning. quite a special movie.
Movies like this make me wish I'd grown up with stories that were this brave and made for children. Because if I had seen this movie when I was 10 or 11 I might not have sunken as low as I did back then, I might not have done the things I did, I might *realized* some things I only did a lot later. Children and youth need representation, and they need to see heavier things, because it helps them see and understand the world in a way that helps them grow up more open, balanced and kind
This is one of my absolute favorite movies that's come out recently. It makes me ugly cry just during this review. It's gorgeous, it's poignant, it's symbolic of so many relatable things. I'm not trans, but I'm isolated alone, and it's just a gorgeous exploration of survival, hope, friendship. Ugh, I love this movie so much.
@@CinemaTherapyShow I had not! I didn't even know about that channel! Immediately bingeing the videos on there! 👍👍 But also it would be great if there was a Therapist Reacts episode. 🧡
i watched this movie not realising it was going to get absolutely heart breaking. i heard about it, i thought it was just fun and chaos, until nimona said that she wanted to let people drive a sword through her heart. i related so much to that moment. and when she was at the statue i honestly bawled my eyes out, just because i know that feeling and still feel like that sometimes. but luckily we both have people like balastor, people who love and care for us. of course that doesn't make everything all perfect, but it helps.
I think one of the great things about Nimona is that, while the whole "itchiness" of wanting to be yourself rather than just pass is intended in a specific way, it can also be applicable to so many things and is relatable to so many people. There is a broadly applicable idea here that, dare I say, the vast majority of viewers can connect with, even if it's not in the specific way the creator intended, and that's the kind of media I love to see.
Nimona made me cry last year. I still quote it with my family even after watching it for the first time. The things said as someone who’s autistic hit home for me. I know it’s not perfect, but it struck an emotional chord with me
So here's the thing, the reason I love Nimona (and a few others) so much - kids deal with trauma. Some kids deal with identity issues, mental illness, alienation, suicidal thoughts, violence, sexual abuse, self injury, you name it there's a kid out there who copes with it, and it's really important imo that there are movies out there that aren't scared to have a PG family film that can appeal to kids and be overall happy and cheerful and fun but also gives kids someone to look to as a role model while they're dealing with their shit. There's a lot of stories out there that are beautifully told that are specifically about helping kids deal with specific issues, but making The Bad Thing the focal point, creating characters just to experience The Bad Thing, feels really unhealthy to me, like they're eternally defined by their trauma and it puts kids in that same mindset that they're defined by theirs, that their trauma and their lives are two separate things. Stories like this one which normalize real people dealing with their shit without being entirely defined by it, without having their whole story wrapped up in it, are really powerful in general and I think it's important that some of them be accessible to children.
Hi! I'm a big fan of the creator of Nimona.... from all the way back to their LOTR Tumblr Meme days.... It means the world to see so many people, ESPECIIALLY THE CINEMA DADS, love Nimona!
Thank you for this episode. I saw Nimona twice: once I watched it by myself and was thrilled, the second time I showed it to my best friends, and they focused on the plot holes of the movie (there were quite a lot of plot holes, tbh) and totally ignored the emotional part. While they were tearing the movie to shreds, I was sitting there, numb, feeling lost and alone. So Nimona got some troubling memories for me. But you reminded me why I loved this movie in the first place - its energy, comedy and total emotional vulnerability. Thank you for bringing it back.
Some people you can't watch movies with. They will be negative for the sake of being negative. Yeah, it has plot holes, most films do. I have a BIL and he is so negative when the family watches a show or movie together.
It is also ok to love what you love, and some things you get to keep for yourself. Screw 'em. This is yours and you can delight in it. And, you are definitely not alone in your love of it.
@@TheLisaBronstein oof, my condolences on having friends who are impossible to watch movies with. The Sins effect strikes again, alas. At least now you can reclaim your love of this movie tbh.
We're just watching snippets from the movie here, but her scream and him transparently telling her "You're not alone." just absolutely kills me every time. Currently weeping through watery eyes as I write this!
I love Nimona very much, I love the plot and humour and it’s one of my favourites, I also can relate to it a lot especially with Nimona and the Institutions and the director reminds me of how I grew up and how the people around me wouldn’t never question their group in fear of worrying they’re in a corrupt one. Great video guys
At 19:10 you can hear Balister saying slight variations of lines he previously said, either with different wording or a more aggressive tone. It’s like in this moment Nimona’s memories are being clouded by the rejection she feels so she remembers Balister as less accepting than he actually was.
A hero breakdown of Deputy Gerard would be awesome! He’s dedicated to the truth, but also to the law. To be the good guy, but also be the guy who screams “I don’t bargain!” to your coworker who’s ear you nearly shot off is such a big thing to accept. I’d even take a whole movie breakdown of Kimble vs Gerard. Being told by the “good guy” that he doesn’t care you’re innocent is just incredible to read on Harrison’s face.
My daughter loves this film. I was so very unsure when she watched it first. The chaotic energy made me question what the frell she was watching and I was allowing. And by the end I was totally crying with Alan 😂🤣
I'm actually so happy that people love the movie as much as I do, cause in high school, I read the graphic novel it was based on. So, to see it be made into something different but equally amazing makes me so happy.
Honestly, the most chilling scene for me is the monster scream. It just sounds so raw and guttural. It feels like the centuries of repression and depression and the trauma of hiding and not being able to trust anyone. It feels like it wasn’t just for Nimona, but for everyone who has ever felt that way.
This instantly became my favorite movie when I first watched it, not only for its hilarious writing and animation, but also it captured the concept of wanting to be accepted beautifully, and I relate to Nimona so much. This is such a great film! ❤
This movie means so much to me. I remember reading it online when it was a free webcomic, and I’m just so proud of everyone who worked on it and took chances on it to get to the screen. It’s an excellent adaption, and I love how it’s grown into this latest form.
To me, one of the biggest details about this movie is that Ballister saved Nimona from herself at the end. He didn't save her from some big bad, he stopped her from ending her own life.
I couldn't agree more! Such a powerful message. This movie is so incredibly underrated.
I see you everywhere
Maybe the true big bad was the depression we fought along the way
I gotta be honest here. This was THE VERY LAST THING I'd expect to see in a family-friendly animated movie. Suicide tends to be a very sensitive topic for me, and as a suicide attempt survivor, that scene caught me off guard. Such an incredibly well-done scene. 😢😢😢😢
@@SonicGamerGirl2006I just watched this for the first time (Literally just now). That scene cut me real deep.
“Easier for who?” Is my favorite moment in this movie. Speaks volumes with so few words.
"I am today"
Absolutely, even though that scene is kinda lighthearted, it made me cry because I have gone through that exact same conversation. People act like they care about what you might go through but they don't understand what hiding it is like. You are the person that needs to support me no matter what, not tell me to change myself for your convenience.
@@aurorarose8174 YEAP
Fun Fact: The credits for the film has an entire section dedicated to everyone that has worked at Blue Sky, complete with Nimona shapeshifting into a squirrel. (Like their mascot, Scrat.) A bittersweet, but great note to end on. I'm glad they got the last laugh against Disney.
I know! The face that Disney deliberately tanked it sadly shocks me less than it should. They missed out on a massive gem, and I’m so glad Annapurna took that chance
Yeah. Current-day-Disney has really broken my heart. In so many ways. They need to be saved from themselves.
Disney has never been a good company though. They made good movies by crushing their creatives into dust. Dreamworks was born from that frustration. In the 80s Disney was such a profit driven company it almost tanked its whole animation department and it took a lot to bring it back, only for them to run it into the ground again with their greed and laziness. And then you add to that the fact that their absolute greed over Mickey Mouse created the copyright hell we live in. They made it impossible for culture to continue growing by buying and copyrighting everything.
@@rav3styleDisney is very sick
@@rav3style yeah I am very glad that Disney "missed the gem" because they're awful with their employees and they would have cut so much content, too
As someone who is nonbinary and adhd autistic, I can relate to Nimona so much. Being rejected and ostracized for who you are, the pain of being lonely for a long time. And the feeling of wanting to just end that pain. Her guttural scream at the end never fails to make me cry.
🫂
yay, group hug! 🫂
🫂🫂🫂
🫡🫂
autistic trans girl here, I fucking feel that. I see you tho 🫂
"Kids.. Little kids. They grow up believing that they can be hero if they drive a sword into the heart of anything different.. and I"M the monster?" is such a relevant line to our current landscape. If all you do is point fingers at others, no one will point the finger at you
I honestly think the last part works VERY differently in practice:
If all one does is point fingers at others, it will 'justify' (or at least motivate) others to point fingers back at them... People often seem surprised when they face backlash from those they put down, yet insist on doubling-down on their hatred instead of looking in a damn mirror.
This doesn't apply to every conflict but I can certainly think of several (personal, societal, and international) involving this hypocrisy.
Back in my day, we used to say "When you point a finger at others, there are also fingers pointing back at yourself."
@@finaldusk1821 THERE IT IS. When I finally figured out that if you force yourself and your thoughts and beliefs on others for long enough that they'll push back at some point, it opened my brain to a part of how power structures work. Both individually and socially. So when the marginalized push back against their oppressors, it astounds me that oppressors responding by the doubling down and making themselves to be the victims. It's wild, but not a lot of people can see the big picture that way.
I am not proud of that at all, but when I was like 10, I faced so much bullying, and there was another girl who was facing the same, and I tried that, the "if I point my finger too, then she'll be distracting them from me, if she's seen as weirder than me, then I won't be bullied as much"
... but it really doesn't work, and it's more worth it to stand together, at least you have a friend.
It is a line that gives me shivers. As well as her not knowing whether she just wants to let people drive a sword through her.
I adore this movie so much
14:31 this film hurt me the most because, Yeah shes a fictional character and however old, shes a child, and she has thoughts like that?? then i realized that there are real children out there who think these same things. and none of that is fair.
Yeah I know what you mean. When I first read your comment I forgot that not everyone does experience that. It used to be far worse a couple of years ago but due to some life changes, those thoughts definitely quiet down. Whenever I watch this movie, I just see myself sometimes, especially with the “and sometimes, I just want to let them” comment.
Yea and its great that those kids can watch movies like this. I think it would have been amazing if I had movies like this when I was growing up, when I was hurting the most. I am happy for the newer generation regardless.
Important to note, when Nimona’s going for the sword at the end, she’s not attacking anything except for that one screen showing that commercial. Other than that, the only destruction occurring is a result of the knights’ REACTION to her. She only destroys parts of the town bc she’s getting knocked back by their attacks
Yeeesss! I love this detail. And everyone around is absolutely LOSING THEIR MINDS as if she's on a violent rampage, but she's literally just WALKING down the street. Except for, like you said, the commercial.
She is seeking actual destruction and violence though. To herself.
And the only reason she attacked the commercial was because it was telling kids that killing things like her would give them good things. She was fully justified doing that and seemingly nobody got hurt because of it
This happens in real life too. People overreact and hurt others just because of perceived problems. (I know…deep😅)
Oh shit, I need to go back and watch that bit.
as a genderfluid person, the subway scene was so important. "it would be easier if you were a girl" "not everyone is as accepting as me" these are things people say to lgbt kids all the time. And the obvious metaphor for gender with her shapeshifting is pretty on the nose but also makes her so relatable. For CIS-Straight people she has an arc to become heroic, but this scene makes her heroic to LGBT people from the beginning. the fact that she refuses to compromise who she is for normalcy sake is already a heroic trait. She's already inspiring to some of us from the early scenes just for that.
It reminds me of a quote from Blood Blockade Battlefront. "Even if I am faced with a thousand setbacks, it does not serve as an excuse to change the way I choose to live my life."
That was said by Klaus, right?
@@anthonymodak2957 yeeessss
Thank you, this is super important! Especially because the original author is nonbinary. My whole family was excited for Nimona because of She-Ra, but with a trans wife and a nonbinary child Nimona was instantly incredibly important. We've watched it quite a few times now, even though I always cry.
@@tobiw.1898 That anime is one of my absolute favorites.
I had Nimona come out rather early in my transition (before I had even started HRT) and there were so many scenes in it that were so powerful and helpful in that journey. It's also helped me explain the trans experience to the friends and family members I have that didn't quite get it at first. I am so happy that this movie exist, and I hope for more like it.
I heard somewhere once that "tradition is peer pressure from dead people" and dammit, I can’t help but agree.
Using tradition as a basis for anything legal has never sat well with me, because it spits in the face of progress and often tramples the rights of others.
@@PlayerOne.StartGame I second this. ⚔️
Just be careful that with progression you dont fuck up the rights others have by rite enjoyed their entire lives.
Some things were rights before the modern interpretation of rights was thought up.
Freedom of speech vs the "right to not be offended" (doesn't exist) for example.
@@joshreyes3624 That's a bridge so far off in the distance I doubt it's even been built yet.
Not all of tradition warrants reform or disposal, this is where wisdom comes into action…the wisdom to discern what does need to be reformed and what needs to be left alone for the right decisions. The problem I see with progressives as a conservative is the mindset of “everything goes”, regardless of the historical reasons that bolster the existence of such ideas because of many pervasive truths that influence or directly affect our lives; some things about us humans does not and will never change, as much as we like to think that it might…it just doesn’t. Discrimination, persecution, war, corruption of greed (not just monetary greed), etc.
Think of the U.S. constitution and its amendments, why were the articles written as “amendments”? Because they were subject to change, albeit…the founding fathers had in mind that the people would install changes with extreme discretion directed by wisdom…thus, this is why the process of repealing or introducing new amendments is such a big and painstaking federal process; progression must be restrained and treated with immense consideration, lest we cause irreparable damages to ourselves because we have been too blinded by our desires for change…change merely for the sake of change. Yet, the opposite is also true…if conservatives subscribe to the idea that all of our traditions and historical ideas must be preserved at all cost for the mere sake of preservation, then we allow human corruption to take hold in our institutions with the assurance of public security.
So, the quote “Tradition is peer pressure from dead people.”, is a false assertion of the traditional values we conservatives hold in high regard. We do not hold these truths that we believe without imperative reasons, because then…what’s the point? Indeed, it would just be peer pressure from our forefathers, but that isn’t the case. Again, revisiting our constitution…what would you say would become of that document if the idea of “everything goes” is applied to the constitution? It is all traditional, after all.
Sometimes, tradition is not the problem…sometimes, more often than not, it is human individuals that inflict such evil; individuals are almost always subject to change throughout their lives and it can seesaw either way in the direction of good or evil. When folks highlight tradition as the sole catalyst of all of their problems, it just pains me to think they will refuse to sit down and reconsider what they’re doing.
@@SinHurr explain, I'm not sure i understand what you are getting across
Please don’t forget about Nate (ND) Stevenson, who wrote and illustrated the original comic and poured so much of himself into Nimona.
I didn't realize he was going by Nate and he/him pronouns now, thanks for the info! ❤
WHAAAAAAAAAAT LIKE. CREATOR OF SPOP???? this is insane and makes so much sense actually WOAAAH
@@EchoBlox YUP!
I got my copy of Nimona signed years ago and he drew a little shark!! (One of my most prized books)
The moment Ballister told Nimona that he sees her, I actually started sobbing. I got emotional a couple times before then, but that was the line that broke me. I'd kill to be told that by the people I used to trust.
For what it’s worth, I see you. I hope you have people in your life who you can trust now. If you don’t, I know how hard it can be, having felt like no one cared at one point myself, but there are people out there who will care and who you can trust. People who will see you like Ballister saw Nimona. You’re not alone ❤
🩵❤🩵
You have worth. You have value. You're not alone.
I didn't even finish the movie the first time. I had to pause it and sob and rewind it a few times before I was willing to continue the movie and watch the ending.
Crying now
I know this movie is a lgbtq+ icon (a well deserved one).
But I gotta say this as an straight adult with diagnosed ADHD, and a pretty solid suspicion by several professionals about being on the spectrum, but you know... Not obvious enough to inspire pity, just so the people might recognize me as "different".
The whole "have you tried being normal" and "sometimes feeling like letting them drive a sword through my heart" hit so close home that my wife thought I was having a panic attack based solely on my reaction.
This movie is just home for anybody who has ever felt different and flagged by it. No matter how.
Yes, I also thought there was a lot of resonance of neurodivergent themes.
This movie while it is a very good allegory for being trans or LGBT+, also works as a general allegory for prejudice in general. I genuinely believe if anyone says they didn't get anything from this movie, they did and are just afraid to admit It, and that doesn't necessarily mean it's for negative reason either
That's BC it's made by & for ND/queer people bc the creator also has ADHD.
To expand on this: I think almost everyone encounters crucial moments in their life where they might have done things one way, but someone 'lit them up' about being different or abnormal, and so they just conformed and never pursued what they viewed as good or special.
Acceptance, believe it or not, affects everyone, which is why we should all strive for it.
Why would your wife think ur having a panic attack? Have u ever had one before?
That final guttural cry from Nimona when she’s in her final monster form, that was something you really Feel. Gets me every time. Edit: for those unaware, the comic this was adapted from was written by ND Stevenson, a trans creator
That scream was brilliantly designed bc if you heard that scream without context or you were told she was evil beforehand, it would sound like your standard godzilla scream. But if you know what's happening, elements of the sound mixing stand out differently, and all you hear is terrible pain.
@@ragnar3434 spot on, genius sound design
That's why the story felt so familiar!
It reminds me a lot of those recordings of Mitski screaming during drunk walk home, it’s just so full of rage, pain and sadness from the situation the person screaming is in but it’s strangely beautiful.
@@ragnar3434 Imo, it sounds painful even without the context, because there is clearly not just mixed "monster" screams, but a human scream as well, and that's what creates this distinction, that it's not really an evil "I will wreck this realm" roar, but a sheer scream of PAIN
Some folks asked me why us trans folks latch onto this movie so hard. It's not Nimona's identity that hits home, it's how she's treated. We get some of the most vile shit thrown at us daily, just existing is enough of a reason for someone who hates to want us dead and worst case scenario, if given the chance, they'll do it. We're human, we just want to exist, we want to have a job, a home, to be surrounded with loved ones, family, we aren't all that different at all. The scene in the train when Ballister 'suggests' it's be 'easier if you were a girl' is something a lot of trans and non-binary folks hear aaaaall the time and it's always excused with 'it's safer' or 'others aren't as accepting as me' and all it is is looking away from an uncomfortable topic and you're not actually helping us. The reason why so many of us are so outspoken, aggressive, violent in our reactions, in our emotions, is because to a lot of people we will NEVER be enough, we will NEVER fit in and be accepted, we're all just 'dirty queers' at the end of the day so why not just, fight back and throw a couple punches of our own? It's a cycle of being told we're not worthy of love, of life and fighting back as much as we can because some of us just, give up sadly and those lives lost should not be in vain. THAT is why Nimona resonates with us.
“The world pushes us without mercy, and when some of us push back, the world points and cries ‘evil!’”
- Mewtwo (scrapped quote from one of the movies)
As someone who used to talk like that, I used to say "why not just try and fit in?" because I thought that it would be easier and keep LGBTQIA+ people from being hurt. I figured, just be yourself indoors or something. But now I understand why that's not a helpful thing to say, because it's not like a jacket you can take off and put on. It's part of who you are. I'm sorry I used to say things like that, and I'm trying to be better now.
"the monster was people all along" No, the monster is prejudice. The monster is being taught as a child to hate and to bash all that is different, the monster is the violence and the extremes to which this reaches, the monster is the complacency of those who see and know this is wrong, adn do nothing about it. The monster is prejudice, and how it becomes a system, this movie isn't shy or unclear about it, and that's another reason as to why I love it
I love that this movie is just vague enough that it can apply to any prejudice too. Like, it's very, very obviously a lesson on accepting transgender people, but it can also apply to accepting any range of people outcast by society be it other LGBT people, or people of different ethnicities, or people just a little bit weirder than others. This movie is such an absolute work of art and is a message this world needs so, so, SO badly. Especially right now.
And people... prejudice and people. :p Trust me, I live in fascist Hungary, people can absolutely be monsters.
💯💯
Yeah exaclty :)
I mean... prejudice does not exist in a vacuum, it's very much a human thing
As a cis mostly straight dude, I'll admit that I found nimona's attitude towards ballister asking her questions to be a tad irritating at first. I thought "well that's not cool. he's asking questions, he's trying to understand. yes it would be better if he didn't have to ask them, but we can't get to a world where those questions DON'T need to be asked if those questions don't get answered first."
But then I thought about it for longer than literally 3 seconds, and I realized that she only acted that way when he asked her "what are you?". When he asked "what does it feel like?", that's when she opens up. She's hostile towards him when he's interrogating her existence, but she opens up when he interrogates her experience.
lol i love “mostly straight” as a fully queer not cis person im so happy that the movie was able to demonstrate that in a way that successfully challenged that whole notion of interrogating versus listening and asking questions
You could work through your internalised LGBTphobia if you wanted to. No one is "mostly" straight. Both heterosexual and homosexual are concepts that are defined as being 100%. Everything else can be bi, pan, omni, poli or ace and/or aro. And it is OK to be and say those words. If we do not use them, people unalive themselves. So it is important that we do. I do not care if you get mad at me. Please, accept yourself as you are and help others be OK. We are all in this together.
"Mostly straight" 😭 Bro that has the same vibes as someone saying they're mostly vegan
@@NatManzano I would rather someone describe themselves as mostly straight and mean it, rather than someone say they were bisexual or gay and only use the term because some internet person said that not doing so is bad for people. People are smart, and there is in fact a noticeable difference between 'straight' and 'mostly straight'. Besides, doesn't the Kinsey Scale exist? Sometimes 'bisexual' just doesn't cut it if you're not 50/50 split. If straight and gay are absolutes (and I don't think they should be) that would probably make 80% of all people some variation of bisexual, making it an incredibly poor descriptor. It would mean almost nothing - it could mean a person might be very into you, or not at all, and there would be no way to tell just by the label. Not that we should be trying to pick partners just by labels rather than treating everyone as individuals in the first place, but still. Why can't 'mostly straight' be an appropriate synonym for 'slightly bisexual' if it is more accurate than just 'straight' or 'bisexual'?
@@maldambao6126 yes, except being mostly vegan does not make it sound like vegan people are wrong, and in this case it makes it sound like being bisexual is a bad thing.
Alan called out hearing Chloe's voice inside the Kaiju scream- one of my fave sound design details in this film during the Kaiju fight is any characters percieving Nimona from the outside hear the monster sound design first, but when we shift to Ballister's perspective (someone who took the time to know her) chasing Nimona through the streets, he hears Nimona's human voice first before the monster sounds cuts in to blend
To have a theme as strong as wishing you were dead because you don't fit in to the society you are a part of is one of the bravest things to do in what is still family film. Nimona is such a beautiful film and I was very surprised by it, thank you for touching on it and talking about it.
"You don't have to torture yourself." I don't know how to stop but at least therapy could show me that it was possible to stop.
We NEED films like this. So many people, everyday people, children even, deal with s!!c!dal ideation and feelings of being rejected and alone every single day and "family movies" as much as I love them are afraid to explicitly touch on those topics because it isn't "family friendly". What family is this for? What family hasn't seen pain? Just as much as we need safe easy movies we also need real movies like this, to let young people realize that they are seen and that what they are feeling is valid.
@@aiiiia9971I'm one of those people who attempted when I was a child. This movie probably would've made me feel seen if I had seen it when I was a kid.
Fun Fact!!! Eugene Lee Yang from the Try Guys is the voice of Ambrosius!! He worked specifically as a VA on this movie and helped with it due to the message of the movie and how he related to it!!
and the character designer / visual development team based the character design off of him when they decided to make Ambrosius look East Asian!
Fun fact, Nimona is played by Chloe Grace Moretz, who is also Snow White in the excellent Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs.
@@Alegriacaptions honestly the duality of her as the sweet princess Snow White and the gremlin of chaos that is Nimona XD but seriously I love that movie, I h ate that the marketing did it so dirty that so many people just are like 'ew that fatphobic movie??' when its literally the opposite!!
@@mountain_dreams yeah it's crazy. But Snow White is a strong character, they nailed her and her character development. I also like how the step mother is the big bad, but she's not so central imo, it's more about Red Shoes and the dwarfs, and the theme of beauty and perception and how it affects you on the long run...
@@mountain_dreams "ew fatphobic movie" is all I heard about it, turns out it's good? should I check it out?
6:58 In real life there are so many Ballisters who think they're being "accepting" and "progressive" whilst doing the bare minimum. What has Ballister done for Nimona at this point in the movie that no one else has done? He hasn't killed her (not for lack of trying) and he's allowed her to help him. And that's basically it. He considers himself "accepting" for that. Nimona knows it's bullshit because he doesn't accept her being a shapeshifter yet. She also knows that this is the best she's got at the moment. It's sad. It's also very real.
Ballister's arc was very interesting in this movie and I really liked it. He had a lot to learn even though he was a "good guy" and unfairly prosecuted, he also needed to realize that he had some serious blind spots as a result of how he was brought up. His relationship with Nimona was able to teach him how to be the kind of person he wants to be
@@aiiiia9971 I can only hope that people in reality learn those lessons too
Can you please do a couples therapy between Ballister and Ambrosius there are so many layers between them as characters and their relationship when shit hits the fan.
Huge endorsement of this! Ballister and Ambrosius are such a great example of two characters who deeply care about one another from start to finish of the story, but who are pulled apart by the circumstances.
I too also second this
I third this.
Was just about to put this in the comments. Plus Ambrosius's internal breakdown.
@@zephyrumbrella YES 💯💯💯💯
I know you giggled pointing out that the camera moved around him to show he's changing perspective, but pointing out that kind of detail is actually very fun and informative! I appreciated it very much.
Omg stop. I’ve been hoping we would get a Nimona video! I sob every time we get to the end. My 6 yr old asked why she turned into a monster at the end and I told her “The sadness she felt on the inside from being rejected and hurt wrapped around her outside and made her look scary. She had such big feelings that she couldn’t hold them inside anymore.” 🥺 This movie is such an amazing gem full of funny and heartbreak and it’s just so so good.
Okay genuinely, what a brilliant way to explain that to a 6yo
That's a great answer. I'm pocketing it for later.
That’s good parenting right there
That is a great response!!
That is such an amazing answer to that question!
We watched this movie with our 8 y/o daughter, with me thinking this would just be a fun movie. When we got to the near end when she went dark and destructive, she said, "She's doing all this because she couldn't take it anymore," sadly. I was amazed and crying that she actually understood
kidas are smart
For the one who doesn't know, Nimona is also a pretty explicit metaphor of being trans. The author of the original comis, ND Stevenson, is trans. And being genderqueer myself, this movie does such a good job with it. Especially the scene when Bal asks her if she would die if she wouldn't shift and Nimona says that she wouldn't die, but she certainely wouldn't live. I felt that.
In that scene, right as she says that line, the transgender pride colours (white pink blue) are very clearly visible in the background. You can see it in this video at 18:09 .
@@kaniamia If you look at the stained glass in the background of a lot of different scenes, you can see a multitude of different pride flags. The trans flag is the most noticeable, but in that same scene the other window is the rainbow flag! I think I've also seen a nonbinary flag, genderqueer flag, and maybe the ace flag? Not sure about the last one, but they are all over throughout the movie!
Given how heavy that element is to Nimona's character I'm kinda disappointed they didn't spotlight or discuss that scene specifically or the allegory in general at all in this video. A lot of people can relate to NImona for a variety of reasons and those other takes are valid, but given everything going on right now I think spotlighting the trans allegory of the film in particular is deeply relevant
@@troikas3353 To be fair, Alan and Jon aren't trans so I understand if they felt they didn't have the knowledge or right to speak about those elements of the movie. Although, I do agree that it would've been welcome, if they had at least mentioned it.
@@troikas3353agreed
When I was a child, I was grilled and punished by my teacher and the school for something I didn’t do. My father defended me, but because I was scared, I admitted to it anyway. Eventually leading to me admitting I lied about being guilty of what I was accused of just to make it all stop. I was 10 or 11 at the time. My father apologized for what happened.
To this day, I have a very strong reaction to being accused of something I did not do. I refuse to take responsibility for someone else’s mistakes. I handle it much better than I used to. But I still have the internal feeling of this defensive anger when it happens.
Nimona made me, a 30 year old man, feel noticed. Even for a moment. And I really appreciate that.
19:21 the subtitle saying "shriek of thousands of years of pain" is too real
One thing that really yanks my heartstrings is Nimona’s theme song. She has a leitmotif you can hear throughout the movie, but the one that plays specifically during the flashback before the climax is hauntingly beautiful. Emphasis on haunting.
One of the most powerful lines on this film for me was when ambrocious was confronting the director and said "And what if we're wrong? What if we've always been wrong?". Such a simple concept to understand but many people don't even give it thought, they are so invested in what their perception of "what's right" is that they don't even stop to think about the damage they're doing. They shield themselves by saying they're right, but what if they're not? if there was the slightest chance that they're wrong, then how could they justify doing so much damage to those that are different?
This hits specially hard when you were one of those kids that were taught so many many awful things, so many awful beliefs rooted in hatred for things we didn't even try to understand, and with time you come to realize how much damage you've done, and start to wonder if it would be worth it even if you were right...
I fully agree. If I ever catch myself shutting people down, I immediately try to go "what if?" and assume I could be wrong.
Like everyone I have my fair share of trauma and it has usually been caused by someone's apathy.
It has made me feel like an outsider my whole life, but it gave me a different opinion than many of my peers growing up. I saw things they often couldn't and taught me that just because a journey is different doesn't make it wrong.
As a teen my favorite poem was from Robert Frost.
"Two roads diverged in a forest and I took the path less traveled by. And that has made all the difference."
The full poem is about how a journey can change you and even while you might not travel the popular course, it is still a part of your experience.. that it matters. You can't always take back your actions, but you can own what they teach you.
I used to use that line all the time to give me strength when I felt alone. Used to repeat it to myself to feel some self control.
But I am obviously imperfect. Because of my own journey I can be overly opinionated on small stuff, as if I have to prove myself.
And I too have hurt others. One day I was being really unfair to someone.. and I didn't realize it.
But on this particular day they said to me "Why is it wrong for me to be different? Did you ever stop to think that we might not be the same? You think you have me all figured out, but what if you're wrong?"
And that line flashed in my head. "and that has made all the difference.." A line I use to validate who I am. It caught me off guard.
In that moment I had been called out and had caught myself not respecting a person's differences just because I thought my concept of it was right.
I hadn't even meant offense but suddenly I realized that I was trying to force my path on this person, but that I hadn't even left them the space to show me why their "and that has made all the difference" mattered.
So now any time I noticed someone not being given a voice, I try to go "yeah, but what if.."
I can't say it's some magic technique that has fixed everything for me, but it has made me so much happier.
It's such a a small change but when you stop going "this is the way things are" and instead go "this is the way it probably is.."
Well, you start seeing things you didn't believe before. It leaves room for someone else to get involved, even in simple stuff. It leads to more discussion and more understanding.
My core belief on something might not change, but how I treat the issue is more well rounded and inclusive.
For example, if someone goes "you never clean the house anymore" that can make you feel defensive. But if you stop and go "but what if?" Then you might also go "well.. when was the last time I did the dishes though?"
It makes sense.
Nimona's scream and Joy's "Stop!" at the end of Everything Everywhere All At Once are etched in my mind as maybe the best acted single utterances (and sound editing) I've ever heard.
Yes
FINALLY! I'm so glad you're discussing this movie!
Great movie! Hope you enjoy the video. :)
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE FOR MONTHS, LET'S GOOOOOOO!!! I was seriously considering flying out to America just to tell these guys to watch the damn movie, IT'S HERE!
a bug's life the screw up everyone bias against you even when you have good ideas. Just the source
Woooo
@@axelsjolander3688 For months? By the time I finished watching it the first time, I was hoping that they'd cover it here, but afraid that this was something that just pushed my buttons, not something with greater appeal.
That scream resonates so hauntingly for anyone who has been there. That place doesn't care how old you are; I was 10 the first time. I've come a long way since, but I'll never forget. Never lose sight of compassion and empathy.
That final hug between Balister and Nimona, when she is trying to stand but is just so emotionally exhausted and visiblely physically injured, and she tries to walk to Balister but just collapses into his arms as he rushes in to catch her❤ 🥹 those few seconds have done something to my brain, and I'm not sorry about it. I need a hug now 🫂
🫂
that specific shot was actually my pfp for a good few months, it's so beautifully done
🫂
🫂🫂🫂
The scene where Nimona presses her heart against the tip of the sword just breaks me because it hits home so hard😢
Thank you thank you thank you!! This is so representative not just of the LGBT+ representation but also discrimination against disabled people or those who are considered different. It really stuck with me because I am both bisexual and disabled and I’ve also dealt with isolation and ridicule like Ballister and Nimona have. I’ve had dangerous thoughts but then I realized how lucky I was to have such a supportive family and friend group. I know there are people out there who don’t and to those people: you’re not alone. ❤ You’re seen 💜
Bi, enby, and part of a system here. I'm right there with you! 💜
@@covensys 💗💜💖💕 You matter, my dear
As someone who’s autistic, genderqueer, pan, Demi, and polyamorous, I definitely relate to Nimona on a personal level
@@savannahthefangirlyt8884 💝💞🧡💛💚💙 You are amazing
Hey. I'm also disabled in both ways and just not straight in any way, where's one able to buy a support system? 'cause even with free healthcare that stuff isn't free apparently.
Something important to me about the scene at 15:05 - you talk about Nimona's character turn of realizing she had one positive example of someone seeing her for her, but I don't think that's the only reason it connects for her in that moment. When Ballister initially says "let's leave together" she's all for it, but once she sees Ballister so defeated about Ambrosious thinking of him as a villain, her perspective changes in order to help Ballister. Because she cares about him so much and wants him to be happy, she's able to see the one example of someone's perspective changing, which heals her too.
22:44 RE: Tonal disparity - I think it totally makes sense here. I don't know what it would mean in psychology terms. But as someone that identifies a lot with Nimona, that jumping from highs to lows is totally accurate. Part of it is performative and social. It's living such a terrible reality while also wanting to connect, and so needing to mask (what would be a socially unsavory reality to others) with humor. Making yourself digestible, while balancing your own craving for honest connection. Like involuntarily starving yourself and learning to live with the hunger pangs, and then the people you finally meet wonder why you're just so ravenous.
It truly is criminal that this never aired on the big screen.
if it did I feel like a lot of theaters would have sudden emergency water damage issues to take care of if it did lol. Jokes aside I wholeheartedly agree, I just don't enjoy the movie theater experience as much as I did as a child, watching movies at home is way more enticing in today's world of on demand streaming lol. But Nimona? I'd have camped out for a midnight release if it had gotten one.
Nimona was easily the best animated movie of 2023. When she tried to take herself out and she lets out that agonizing scream, I just broke down. Thank you so much for covering this, Internet Dads! 🥺😊
*2023
@@sweetdreams1028edited. Thanks
This movie is a great example of that one quote
“A child not embraced by the village, will burn it down to feel it’s warmth”
Also I love that you guys are reviewing this movie. I had a feeling you would :).
I am a 35 years old grown a** man, but I am not afraid to admit that I cried both times I watched this movie. It is sooo incredibly powerful, while being fun and unforgettable. ❤
Hell yeah! #cryingwithAlan, Grown ass adults cry!
So did I ❤
Nimona makes me cry every time 😭, it's so damn good. I hate that society is so touchy right now that we can't talk openly about suicide/ideation and how it affects people. Wanton violence is all over the place, but heaven forbid we say the "s" word...ridiculous.
I appreciate y'all talking about this movie
Annapurna definitely did Blue Sky justice. I'm so glad this film got a second chance and had so many thought provoking messages. Big metaphors/analogies to fearmongering and propaganda against minorities, using fear to control, the victors writing the history books, use of excessive force, maintaining tradition/the status quo at all costs, gaslighting, and hiding the parts of yourself that aren’t "normal" enough for others’ comfort, among others. It’s pretty spectacular.
When Nimona said the self-unalive part, I bawled bc I have struggled with that for a long time. And near the end too but we’ll get to that.
19:15 I think it's really important that we also hear a lot of *Ballister's* voice as she breaks down. He wasn't trying to be cruel, but it shows the damage we can do even unintentionally. I think back to Zootopia and the part where Judy and Nick separate after the comments she makes to the public. It's not just about not being part of the problem, but in coming to really understand people and be part of the solution. It inspires me to be less callous and "small minded" with my questions. To treat people like people.
There's many minority groups now that growing up I was sheltered from any knowledge of. It's not their job to answer every little question I have. It's not their job to have to defend their own existence to me. I have the internet and resources that I can educate myself. And when they talk to me, I can listen. I can learn.
Thank you for doing the work of an ally! From a trans person
This. All of this. It's why I say I'm learning, not "woke." (Plus a 50 year old white guy saying it is just wrong.) There's always more to learn. If I'm not learning, then I'm not helping
if i had had this movie when i was a little kid i could have pointed at the sword scene and said "that. that is what i'm feeling, like everyone wants to drive a sword through my heart so why don't i just do it for them". but i didn't have nimona. and it took a long time before i was able to communicate effectively enough for my adults to realize i needed real help. i'm so glad kids have nimona. that they have a way to show their adults how they're feeling when it gets dark and scary in their heads
I desperately need a physical copy of this movie. Like, it should be a crime for a movie to be this good, but unable to be in my physical movie collection. Let me give you my money, Netflix!!!!
Buy the original comic! Support ND Stevenson so she can create more art like this! :D
Oops sorry - so THEY can. Wrong pronoun. >.
@@rachaelprewett9873 I already have it! I just need the movie too on DVD/Blu Ray. 😭
@@rachaelprewett9873 already have the graphic novel! Would still do a lot for a physical copy of the movie to go alongside it tho. 😭
I remember crying when I first saw this movie because Nimona reminded me so much of myself. She wants to fit in, she wants people to see her as she is and accept her for it. But the society she lives in and the society we live in are the same. People are so prejudiced that they'd rather judge everyone, and find them faulty, instead of accepting people and their life choices. She resonated so firmly, and it felt like I had finally found a kindred spirit. And now, seeing all your comments, I realize there are more people out there like me than I thought. So thank you guys, for making yourselves known.
Icry every time she says that line " I dont know whats scarier, the fact everyone wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes I want to let them " it's strikes me as a queer person ( specific bi and a trans woman ) because I just want to be loved and accepted for who I am, but knowing I have to be secretive with some people, not tell them who I really am or they might freak out on the mild end to get violent on the worse end or that any time I even talk online I have a significant chance of some jack ass harrassing me, doxing me, or any number of other things, it terrifies me to no end, and sometimes I do just want it to end, idk how well I could manage it without the fact I do have great friends, and an amazing boyfriend, even with all that some days it does feel to overwhelming to take, so this movie cuts deep and it's so cool to see you guys react to it.
It honestly disappoints me that Cinema Therapy didn't brush on any of the many queer elements of Nimona. If these two cishet men didn't feel capable doing so, they could've brought a guest in as they've done in the past. Nimona is an unapologetically queer film, in text and subtext. Even just the conception of Nimona by transmasc creator Indy Stephenson, to the very gender-bending elements of Nimona as a person, that element of Nimona's story is really missing in this video.
@WrenderUntoTheDM yea, sadly I don't think either of them felt up to it, there is clear signs they both understand it, but they seem uncomfortable not in the homophobic way but in a out of there depth way, neither of them are queer they don't know the experience besides media and maybe friends or family talking about it, I think they where just to worried about saying something wrong than anything, it does suck tho.
I haven't seen this mentioned yet but this was based on a comic series by ND Stevenson and was his way of exploring his identity, which came to embody a gender transition which is why Nimona is a shapeshifter and speaks in such allegorical tones that hint at this journey. ND is also the one who spearheaded the reboot of SheRa which has become one of the most recent LGBTQIA+, neurospicy and disability representative stories in animation which we also see in Nimona. ND's work is worth checking out, both the original comic (which has a lot of differences, but holds true to the same narrative heartbeats) and SheRa. He's a wonderful writer and storyteller and all the things you complimented about BlueSky and the director also belong to and should be given credit towards ND for his pivotal influence and personal journey that shaped this story from the ground up. I hope in years ahead we get to look back and see this film as one of the pieces of media and storytelling that had a positive influence on people in our real world the way it did on Ballister, so that everyone gets to safely and happily be who they are. 💜🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈💜
"And now you're a boy..."
"I am today 😈"
Literally how I, a non-binary person, has described themself on masc days
9:25 this part had me crying. When I first watched this film I wondered why I connected to this character do much. Then I realized, she is an amazing representation of teenage girls who went through trauma. Obviously she doesn't represent all of us, but she really is how I and so many of the teenage girls I knew acted. Love this character
But she's not a girl! She's a shark! 🦈😊
I also felt like, especially when it came to the moment of Nimona making the decision to end it, it’s being told your whole life that you’re the bad guy, and that destroying you is what can make someone good. Like a last chance to be seen as doing the “right” thing, to be liked/approved of by other people.
This movie is kind of "What if the Iron Giant could speak full sentences and fit through doors", it's one of my favorites of all time
That explains why I cry watching it
being forced to conform or feeling constant pressure to conform by society just to be treated like a person is the cause of a lot of people’s trauma is such a powerful and painful thing to realise I was six and I was apparently a monster too because I’m neurodivergent I was so scared of being treated poorly I stopped trying to be myself at all. Now I’m an adult relearning that I’m allowed to be myself but my childhood is dead. the little girl who loved herself before the world told her she didn’t deserve to exist is gone now and I’m here trying to pick up the pieces and hopefully help others avoid the pain I still feel. Nimona made me sob cause I’ve been in those dark places and more stories like this need to be told stories with purpose that tell kids as long as you aren’t hurting anyone it’s okay to be yourself ❤❤
Another movie that helped me out of the darkest 3 months of my life and made me realize I wasnt really alone, reacted to the two still motivating me to finish college to be a child therapist... Thank you both for reacting to Nimona. :)
We're wishing you the best!!
what were the other movies? Asking for a friend :)
@@Finn-41 Wonka was a big one. It helped reawake the childlike magic I lost some time ago. It was personal, since Willy Wonka was my baby steps as a performer.
Thank you for calling this an important movie (not in those words but the sentiment was there at the end) And thank you for covering it..
This movie covers so many bases, touches on so many truly important themes but does it with an unbelievably soft touch and it hits so much harder because of it.
I've watched a lot of reactions to this and so many of them go "You go Girl!!!" when Nimona says "I'm Nimona' to the several times she is asked "What are you?" But rather than being the "none of you business" response that so many people read it to be, the simple fact is she has this response because SHE doesn't know.
We are humans, We know we are human and that is a part in the tapestry of our existence. We are male. female, somewhere in between, Gay, straight, somewhere in-between or neither. We have a good idea of what we are from all the definitions around us. But Nimona, to her knowledge is the only being of her kind. We know she is at least 1000 years old she could easily be 10,000 or a million or has existed for ever (for what ever that means). We also know we have never seen her original or default form. The earliest we see her (the true well scene) she comes into shot mid transform and becomes the small bird. We never see what she was before that. Even the Little girl form was an instinctive reaction to seeing Gloreth and another attempt to fit in and failing. For all we know She could simply be a being of pure energy that can conjure forms from thin air (it was explained in the comic that she destroys the current one and immediately creates the next neatly sidestepping the conservation of mass problem !!)
The point is she doesn't KNOW what she is. She doesn't KNOW what 'wrong' with her. Nothing is wrong with her, obviously, but that doesn't help you when nothing you do or try seems to work... I found me self resonating with this very strongly. I self diagnosed with autism at the late age of 50 (several professionals have since confirmed this in casual conversation. Me:" Do you think I might be Autistic" Them "Well, DUH!" )
For most of my life I've not fit in. I found I could not make social satiations work as they were meant to. I'd follow the rules (as I could discern them) but Id fail and be shunned, called names, stuffed through hedges, beat up, lose friends (especially when it came to intimate relationships)
Then I realised I was most likely Autistic and everything just fell in to place. It explained pretty much every awkward failure after failure. Explained why nothing worked right. It was a revelation..
Nimona is in a similar boat because she has no clue what or why she is like she is. Never even encountering anything remotely similar. It's why she reacts the way she does because the " I am what I am" answer is the only defence she has. And while self acceptance, which is the result of " I am what I am" is a good thing Nimona is not there, nor can she be till she gets some answers or society stops literally demonising her.
Nimona is obviously a trans allegory, but it also works with other communities. For example, I'm autistic and so is my oldest son. Would it be "easier" if we just pretended to be neurotypical? Yes, for neurotypical people, but it's actually hard for autistic people to mask and pretend to be neurotypical. So we'll continue being our neurodiverse selves and it's up to other people to accept us for who we are - not to force us to pretend to be someone else to make things easier for them.
Omg yes, the Queer & ND readings to this movie are so awesome (especially as a Queer ND myself)
i think thats why is so important to let creators make stories about their experience and who no matter if you are part of tha community or not we can all relate. ND Stevenson is an amazing artist (They have also work in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) and her experience as Non-binary and as trans is show in this movie and in the original comic, but the amazing thing about great authors and amazing stories is that they can not only show you a mirror of tha sociaty we live in but also make us relate to other groups we are not are part of.
Also autistic, & related hard!!!
@@andresfelipemanjarres7061 ND is also ND :D Queer & ND people always make the best creative imo, we have so many ways to tell just one story!
if only execs were letting more people do that...
I have Auditory Processing Disorder, Mixed Expressive Receptive Language Disorder (MERLD), ADHD, autism, and probably OCD. I am biracial (half white half black) and grew up going to a predominantly white school. I’ve felt different a lot. This is painfully relatable to everyone.
Something important about Nimona is that it doesn't dumb down, euphemize, or turn into a metaphor the things it's talking about.
There's an obsession with making "heavy" topics like S-----e ideation or even more complex like police violence "palatable," to young audiences when these topics come up (see: zootopia). But the fact is that children struggle with them, and their struggles don't come with an age appropriate understanding. The only people it's upsetting to, to see a child on screen struggle with these things, are the adults who've projected an innocence onto children that those children will never live up to.
For me as a child one of the most important examples of this was Lilo and Stitch
Lilo and Stitch is very special because it is truthful, real and fun. Lilo is autistic, though. She is OK just the way she is.
2:25 You're absolutely right, and what's even worse is they didn't even think to flip the middle one to make it less obvious. Granted, from what I've heard, this was a movie that was barely able to be finished due to jumping across studios, so I'm definitely willing to overlook these things.
I’ve been following this creator since I was in middle school and got the Nimona book as a gift - the creator has changed my life in more ways than one. I didn’t know a lot of things about myself at that time, but looking back I now know that I kept rereading Nimona for a reason. Nimona was basically with me throughout my journey of discovering my gender identity and what it all means to me to be me.
The first scene you covered with Ballister and Nimona was really important to me. The scene basically prepared me for how my loved ones could’ve reacted to me coming out - confusion, defensiveness, trying their best to understand but questions feeling more like insults, etc. The whole story was basically helping me understand before I even knew what there was to learn about myself. And throughout the story, seeing Ballister not only learn to accept Nimona, but to also defend her even against his own loved ones - every time I’ve read the book and watched the movie, I can’t help but just feel that kind of love that Ballister has for Nimona.
Thank you so much you guys for covering this amazing and loving story ❤
I’ve heard people saying that Nimona as a character, is like Autistic coded or something. Like, her being different than everyone, and being judged because of it, is like an allegory for autism, and…I agree. Especially the line of “why don’t you be more human, more normal” That hits hard. Like, as an autistic person, it is hard to feel connected and understood by people who are not on the spectrum…man. Anyway, great video as always you two!
I have the Nimona graphic novel and there is something to be said about the creator's mindspace when comparing both, I'm glad that they seem to be in a brighter place
"I don't know what's scarier; the fact that everyone in this kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes, i just want to let them."
that one hurts. every. single. time. on a level too deep for me to reach.
THANK YOU for covering this movie, I requested it in some of the comments! I love this movie so much not only cause of its wonderful world concept, its shapeshifter main character but the deep cut topics like labels and unaliving thoughts, something that i think needs to be talked about more. When you call someone a monster, that's what they'll be, and they'll never get a chance to change cause that labeling convinced themselves they would never amount to anything more.
Thanks for being one of the suggesters! And thanks for watching! :)
I love that i have come so far into my self love journey that nimonas line of "i dont know whats scarier. That half of the kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart or that sometimes i just want to let them." Used to make me sob cause it was too relatable and now i just hug myself and journal whenever im feeling that way to remind myself that im allowed to feel not ok sometimes and that I deserve the life i want🥰
I need a medal for performing the fastest click in the wild west. I loved the animation for this film!
"There's always hope but it may not be the hope that you're hoping for, it may not be what you're expecting or wanting but there's always a way of finding...how can I make peace with what is and spend my energy on what I can focus on." I really needed this message today ❤
I absolutely loved this movie! Queer representation, great acting, and a compelling story that actually had me crying at the end. Nimona is such an amazing character, and I related to her alot. ^^
I really like how they don't slap the viewer in the face with the homosexual representation, it's shown as a natural part of the world as it should be.
I adore Nimona. It is a wonderful movie that uncovers the inner feelings of those who are rejected by society and how understanding and love can change people for the better. You two gentlemen did a great job on this.
Im so glad you guys covered this movie. Idk 100% if this movie was meant to be a metaphor for gender identity, but i interpretted it that way. As someone whos nonbinary, Nimona was portrayed PERFECTLY. Even the subtle comments of confusion from Ballister where hes like "how did you end up like this?" "Cant you just be a normal girl?" its something you hear so often as an nb person. I understand why people may not completely understand it, but its just one of those things that really makes you feel a divide with others. Like it creates the idea of a "you" and a "them". Which can be very isolating to experience. So its refreshing for that to be the crux of the story [metaphorically speaking] And Ballister vocalising it so directly "I see you, and youre not alone".
To answer your question, yes, it is about Gender Identity and especially LGBTQIA+ identities. Nimona is based on a graphic novel made by Nate Stevenson, a Trans Masc person who created She-Ra. It was 100% intentional that Nimona is Trans coded. Also, Nate wrote Nimona during a time he was struggling with his gender dysphoria and before he knew he was Trans. Nimona was a character he put a lot of his feelings as a Trans person in while writing. There is even a Trans flag visible in one shot behind Nimona when she talks about how not shifting means she wouldn't be living. The arrow scene basically. So yeah, you are 100% correct!
im cishet and i have a lot of lgbtqia+ people in my vicinity. and i always thought of myself as pretty understanding and open. then i watched this movie, specifically the arrow and train scene and thought "oh god. im a dumbass!" because i recalled having asked similiar questions. things like "when did you know" "what makes/made you sure" and things like that. only after this movie i realized how these questions could hurt someone. i still mess up from time to time but im learning. quite a special movie.
@@mr.whocares8787from a trans person, thank for learning and expanding your knowledge and empathy!
Movies like this make me wish I'd grown up with stories that were this brave and made for children. Because if I had seen this movie when I was 10 or 11 I might not have sunken as low as I did back then, I might not have done the things I did, I might *realized* some things I only did a lot later. Children and youth need representation, and they need to see heavier things, because it helps them see and understand the world in a way that helps them grow up more open, balanced and kind
This is one of my absolute favorite movies that's come out recently. It makes me ugly cry just during this review. It's gorgeous, it's poignant, it's symbolic of so many relatable things. I'm not trans, but I'm isolated alone, and it's just a gorgeous exploration of survival, hope, friendship. Ugh, I love this movie so much.
You guys HAVE to react to The Wild Robot - definitely gonna get some tears for that one and it's SO BEAUTIFUL.
Have you seen our review of it on our new channel? ua-cam.com/video/RvzPoIFYFto/v-deo.html We'll probably do it on CT too. :)
@@CinemaTherapyShow I had not! I didn't even know about that channel! Immediately bingeing the videos on there! 👍👍
But also it would be great if there was a Therapist Reacts episode. 🧡
This movie is so excellent and surpassed all of my expectations. I really loved it, and Nimona was such a genderqueer icon to me.
I can totally see it
i watched this movie not realising it was going to get absolutely heart breaking. i heard about it, i thought it was just fun and chaos, until nimona said that she wanted to let people drive a sword through her heart. i related so much to that moment. and when she was at the statue i honestly bawled my eyes out, just because i know that feeling and still feel like that sometimes. but luckily we both have people like balastor, people who love and care for us. of course that doesn't make everything all perfect, but it helps.
Nimona Lets go! one of my favorite movies.
I think one of the great things about Nimona is that, while the whole "itchiness" of wanting to be yourself rather than just pass is intended in a specific way, it can also be applicable to so many things and is relatable to so many people. There is a broadly applicable idea here that, dare I say, the vast majority of viewers can connect with, even if it's not in the specific way the creator intended, and that's the kind of media I love to see.
Possibly my favorite movie of all time, it's amazing to see a liscenced therapist react to it
Nimona made me cry last year. I still quote it with my family even after watching it for the first time. The things said as someone who’s autistic hit home for me. I know it’s not perfect, but it struck an emotional chord with me
Balister’s eye reflection is diamond shaped, like Goldenloin’s face. Goldenloin’s eye reflection is triangle shaped, like Ballister’s face
So here's the thing, the reason I love Nimona (and a few others) so much - kids deal with trauma. Some kids deal with identity issues, mental illness, alienation, suicidal thoughts, violence, sexual abuse, self injury, you name it there's a kid out there who copes with it, and it's really important imo that there are movies out there that aren't scared to have a PG family film that can appeal to kids and be overall happy and cheerful and fun but also gives kids someone to look to as a role model while they're dealing with their shit. There's a lot of stories out there that are beautifully told that are specifically about helping kids deal with specific issues, but making The Bad Thing the focal point, creating characters just to experience The Bad Thing, feels really unhealthy to me, like they're eternally defined by their trauma and it puts kids in that same mindset that they're defined by theirs, that their trauma and their lives are two separate things. Stories like this one which normalize real people dealing with their shit without being entirely defined by it, without having their whole story wrapped up in it, are really powerful in general and I think it's important that some of them be accessible to children.
Nimona deserved the big screen!
Hi! I'm a big fan of the creator of Nimona.... from all the way back to their LOTR Tumblr Meme days.... It means the world to see so many people, ESPECIIALLY THE CINEMA DADS, love Nimona!
Thank you for this episode. I saw Nimona twice: once I watched it by myself and was thrilled, the second time I showed it to my best friends, and they focused on the plot holes of the movie (there were quite a lot of plot holes, tbh) and totally ignored the emotional part. While they were tearing the movie to shreds, I was sitting there, numb, feeling lost and alone. So Nimona got some troubling memories for me. But you reminded me why I loved this movie in the first place - its energy, comedy and total emotional vulnerability. Thank you for bringing it back.
Some people you can't watch movies with. They will be negative for the sake of being negative. Yeah, it has plot holes, most films do. I have a BIL and he is so negative when the family watches a show or movie together.
It is also ok to love what you love, and some things you get to keep for yourself. Screw 'em. This is yours and you can delight in it. And, you are definitely not alone in your love of it.
@@TheLisaBronstein oof, my condolences on having friends who are impossible to watch movies with. The Sins effect strikes again, alas. At least now you can reclaim your love of this movie tbh.
What are the plots holes of this movie?
We're just watching snippets from the movie here, but her scream and him transparently telling her "You're not alone." just absolutely kills me every time. Currently weeping through watery eyes as I write this!
The ache to be loved and to belong thickly masked by sarcasm
Yep, that just about sums it up…
I love Nimona very much, I love the plot and humour and it’s one of my favourites, I also can relate to it a lot especially with Nimona and the Institutions and the director reminds me of how I grew up and how the people around me wouldn’t never question their group in fear of worrying they’re in a corrupt one. Great video guys
Thank you for covering Nimona. Watched this film, sobbed, and hugged my infant the first chance I got.
At 19:10 you can hear Balister saying slight variations of lines he previously said, either with different wording or a more aggressive tone. It’s like in this moment Nimona’s memories are being clouded by the rejection she feels so she remembers Balister as less accepting than he actually was.
As a D.I.D. system, a lot of our alters (including myself) relate to Nimona so much. So glad you guys covered it!
A hero breakdown of Deputy Gerard would be awesome! He’s dedicated to the truth, but also to the law. To be the good guy, but also be the guy who screams “I don’t bargain!” to your coworker who’s ear you nearly shot off is such a big thing to accept. I’d even take a whole movie breakdown of Kimble vs Gerard. Being told by the “good guy” that he doesn’t care you’re innocent is just incredible to read on Harrison’s face.
Yay!!!!! You finally do this movie!!!
Finally!
My daughter loves this film. I was so very unsure when she watched it first. The chaotic energy made me question what the frell she was watching and I was allowing. And by the end I was totally crying with Alan 😂🤣
I'm actually so happy that people love the movie as much as I do, cause in high school, I read the graphic novel it was based on. So, to see it be made into something different but equally amazing makes me so happy.
Honestly, the most chilling scene for me is the monster scream. It just sounds so raw and guttural. It feels like the centuries of repression and depression and the trauma of hiding and not being able to trust anyone. It feels like it wasn’t just for Nimona, but for everyone who has ever felt that way.
This instantly became my favorite movie when I first watched it, not only for its hilarious writing and animation, but also it captured the concept of wanting to be accepted beautifully, and I relate to Nimona so much. This is such a great film! ❤
AHHHHH THE BUFFY DARK WILLOW REFERENCE 21:19 😭 Season 6 of Buffy is incredible and probably a therapist’s dream
This movie deadass saved my life im so happy you're covering it lol
This movie means so much to me. I remember reading it online when it was a free webcomic, and I’m just so proud of everyone who worked on it and took chances on it to get to the screen. It’s an excellent adaption, and I love how it’s grown into this latest form.