Why an Obscure French Film is 2025's Animation Masterpiece
While 2025 has delivered some major animated blockbusters and a few letdowns, one small independent movie from France is quietly stealing the show. It offers a unique take on time travel and a surprisingly mature story that could redefine what you expect from the medium.
The animation scene in 2025 has been a mixed bag. We've seen international hits like _Ne Zha 2_ and _Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle_ dominate the box office, but a truly groundbreaking film, one that could stand alongside recent classics like _Flow, The Boy and the Heron,_ or _Pinocchio_, has been missing. To make matters worse, some of the year's most hyped releases, including Pixar’s _Elio_ and Andy Serkis’ _Animal Farm_, didn't quite live up to expectations. But amid the noise, a small independent fantasy film from France is making a powerful statement.
A Story Beyond a Single Generation
Animation is too often pigeonholed as kids' stuff, but the greatest works in the medium have always been able to tell stories that connect with everyone. The French production _Arco_ might not pull in the same crowds as _Dog Man_ or _The Bad Guys 2_, but it uses its animated form to explore a concept that would be impossible to capture in live-action, creating something both profound and thrilling.
A Hopeful Glimpse into the Future
So many sci-fi tales paint a bleak, dystopian picture of what's to come. _Arco_ flips the script, suggesting a better path is possible if we learn to manage our reliance on technology. The film tackles the tricky concept of time travel by weaving two distinct timelines together. Most of the action is set in 2075, a near-future where humanity is wrecking the planet's resources and has offloaded simple tasks to robots. This world feels unnervingly familiar until the main character, Arco (voiced by Juliano Krue Valdi), shows up from the year 2932.
At its core, _Arco_ is a classic adventure about a hero trying to get back home. But it's also a powerful warning about the consequences of our current choices. While the people of 2075 may not see the immediate impact of their actions, the world of 2932 has devolved so much that humans live like ancient cave dwellers. The film explores the heartbreaking loss of potential when a future that should hold promise is squandered.
Classic Influences, Original Vision
A young girl named Iris (voiced by Romy Fay) takes it upon herself to build a future that Arco would actually want to return to, as he seems perfectly happy to stay in the past. This is just one of the surprisingly mature themes in a movie that still boasts a vibrant color palette and slapstick comedy that will appeal to kids.
_Arco_ is a rare original story, not adapted from any existing book or material, but it clearly honors animation legends. Its reverence for nature brings to mind the style of Studio Ghibli, while its action sequences have the exciting energy of Disney’s ‘Golden Age’ classics. Even the film's quirky, bumbling robots feel like a nod to the strange creatures in the French animated classic _Fantastic Planet_.
The film is being released by the independent distributor Neon, whose projects don't always get a wide theatrical run. Even so, _Arco_ is a movie worth hunting down as soon as you can. Cinema needs more of its unique brand of optimism and creativity.