Everyone has that one movie from their childhood that no one seems to know. For me, it’s Song of the Sea. Song of the Sea is a 2015 animated fantasy film directed by Tomm Moore and it is set in Ireland.

The story is based on Irish folklore and focuses on the mythological creatures Selkies (seals in the sea, humans on land). The film follows Ben and his sister Saoirse (who is also a Selkie through their mother), and their relationship as they go on a quest to free fairies and save the world from evil. In the beginning, Ben is still struggling with the loss of his mother and takes out his frustrations on his younger sister who struggles to communicate. The movie shows a beautiful demonstration of the two siblings working out their differences and truly understanding each other.

I honestly miss when films were original stories and weren’t just retellings or sequels of already established movies. If you look at Disney’s lineup for upcoming movies, it’s all sequels or live-actions. For example, the live-action Lilo & Stitch, the live-action Moana, Moana 2,
Frozen 3, and Toy Story 5 are all examples of movies that keep on getting recycled. Senior Yeslyn Ortez said, “The original stories are always better.” There is a loss of creativity in the world of animated movies. When modern day films try to be creative, it just ends up repeating the same concepts of already existing original movies. Song of The Sea is an accurate example of these already existing movies full of creativity and originality.

The reason it stands out is because it allows audiences to appreciate slower storytelling. Many animated movies today are fast pased with constant jokes and action scenes designed to keep viewers hooked every second. Song of The Sea focuses more on the atmosphere and character relationships. Additionally, unlike modern-day animated films that use fairy tale elements only for entertainment, the movie treated folklore, specifically Irish folklore, as something deeply emotional. Creatures such as Selkies, fairies, and spirits are included naturally and respectfully in the film.

On the quest to find quotes, I discovered that not a lot of people have ever even watched this film. In my personal opinion, they are missing out. In a world full of overstimulating, fast-paced, and loud animated films where every character seems to have the same personality, this film is a breath of fresh air.