Following his previous films The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, Tomm Moore’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy” concludes with an animated fantasy adventure film, WOLFWALKERS. It is the fourth animated feature film produced by Cartoon Saloon.

In Kilkenny, Ireland, 1650, Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) of Kilkenny town has ordered a group of farmers to clear the nearby woods for agriculture. The farmers are attacked by a pack of dangerous wolves, but are miraculously saved by Wolfwalkers. Wolfwalkers, according to legend, are peaceful and magical people who live in harmony with the forest. They possess extraordinary abilities, such as controlling wolves and healing.

Upon learning of the wolf attack, Lord Protector dispatches a troop of soldiers to hunt down all the wolves. The Wolfwalker family and a pack of wolves are forced to retreat deep into the forest. Lord Protector also hires Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean), a British professional hunter who arrives in town with his daughter Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), to assist in the wolf hunt.

Robyn is unlike other girls. She has a pet falcon named Merlyn and dreams of one day becoming a great hunter like her father. Convinced that she can help him, she secretly follows him into the woods. However, she is caught in the middle of a wolf attack and accidentally wounds Merlyn with her arrow. Her father, Bill, arrives and rescues her, while Robyn witnesses a mysterious girl take Merlyn into the woods. Lord Protector meets Bill outside the city walls and sends Robyn to work in his mansion.

Robyn sneaks out of Lord Protector’s mansion and enters the woods in search of Merlyn. She finds him miraculously healed, but is startled into a trap when a wolf confronts her. The wolf begins to help her escape, but she mistakes its actions for aggression and tries to fight it, resulting in a bite. Robyn later realizes that the wolf is actually the mysterious girl she saw earlier, a Wolfwalker named Mebh (Eva Whittaker). Mebh’s spirit leaves her body and transforms into a wolf when she sleeps. Robyn also learns that Mebh’s mother, Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy), has been searching for a place where the wolves can live peacefully, away from humans. Mebh is worried because her mother has not yet returned.

After returning to town, Robyn discovers that her spirit leaves her body and transforms into a wolf when she sleeps, the result of the Wolfwalker bite. Bill is awakened by the commotion and mistakenly tries to kill the wolf, forcing Robyn’s spirit to flee into the woods in search of Mebh.

Tomm Moore’s Wolfwalkers is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant work of art. The film explores the heartfelt relationship between father and daughter, depicting a father’s fear of losing his daughter, just as he lost his wife, and his uncertainty about whether he will always be able to protect her.

Hand-drawn animation remains Cartoon Saloon’s formidable signature, and every frame of Wolfwalkers is incredibly beautiful. The use of contrasting visual styles is highly effective in conveying the film’s themes of nature versus civilization. The town, with its rigid geometric architecture, represents confinement and limitation, while the naturally flowing lines and Celtic-inspired art of the forest evoke a feeling of freedom and wonder.

The mesmerizing music by French composer Bruno Coulais, accompanied by Irish folk music group Kíla, elevates the mood and tone of the film. Coulais, who also created the music for The Secret of Kells, has created a score that is both enchanting and haunting. The theme song, “Running with the Wolves,” by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer AURORA, was originally released in 2015 but was re-recorded specifically for the film.

WOLFWALKER premiered at Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 2020. The film was theatrically released in United Kingdom on 26 October, in the United States on 13 November, in Ireland on 2 December, and in France on 16 December.

Be fierce. Be wild. Be free.

Awards

• Narrative Feature — AFI Festival (2020)
• Top 10 Independent Films — National Board of Review (2020)
• Best Animated Film — Boston Online Film Critics Association (2020)
• Best Animated Film — Chicago Film Critics Association (2020)
• Best Animated Film — Columbus Film Critics Association (2020)
• Best Animated Film — Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (2020)
• Best Animated Film — Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards (2020)
• Best Animated Film — Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards (2020)
• Best Animated Film — New Mexico Film Critics Awards (2020)
• Best Animated Film — New York Film Critics Circle Awards (2020)
• Best Animated Film — San Diego Film Critics Society Awards (2020)

Apple acquired the rights of the film and debuted on tv+ on 11 December 2020.