Away

It's fair to say that Latvian animation director Gints Zilbalodis has created the most relaxing, beautiful film possible about a kid being chased by a monster. Everything about Away is gorgeously tranquil, starting with the opening shot of the boy hanging by his parachute on a tree branch as an ominous creature slowly lumbers toward him. Any thought that this creature could be a kindly Iron Giant or BFG is dispelled within minutes, when the monster swallows the boy whole. Still, as he gently floats through the creature's stomach cavity, internal organs rhythmically swishing and reverberating, it's calmly terrifying.

The animation isn't sophisticated, but it is simple and artful. The teen doesn't have a range of expressions, but when he stops and blankly stares for several seconds, it speaks volumes. And the lack of verbal communication -- the movie doesn't have any dialogue -- doesn't mean a lack of audio. The boy's heavy breathing as he runs, the whispers of the wind, and the peaceful sounds of nature against an orchestral score transcend language -- they make a statement about the serenity and perfection of nature when it's not interrupted by humans. Our hero is notably affected by what he experiences as he travels through uninhabited areas of the island, and the bird he befriends and carries in his backpack is also changed when it sees what's beyond the gates of its home. Some kids may drift off when watching this lovely, zenful film. As they do, they may also understand that the bubble of home is safe, but to grow, they must step out of that -- even if that means enduring some risk -- to see what they're capable of.