Movie · 2014 · Animation, Fantasy, Adventure, Family · 1h 20m · PG · PT
Curator score: 8.5/10 (26.7K ratings)
Some dreams survive.
Overview
Suffering because of his father's departure to the big city, a boy leaves his village and discovers a fantastic world dominated by bug-engines and strange beings. An unusual animation with various artistic techniques that portrays the issues of the modern world through the eyes of a child.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.5/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.99/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 80
TMDB: 7.4/10
Director
Alê Abreu
Production
Filme de Papel, Petrobras
Cast
Vinicius Garcia, Lu Horta, Marco Aurélio Campos, Felipe Zilse, Alê Abreu, Cassius Romero, Nestor Chiesse, Alfredo Rollo, Patrícia Pichamone, Melissa Garcia
Curator Review
Verdict
A visually inventive, dialogue-light animated fable that turns a child’s grief into a vivid political and emotional journey. Its handmade style, music-driven storytelling, and anti-capitalist undercurrent make it distinctive and memorable.
Best for
Viewers who like artful, experimental animation
Fans of wordless or near-wordless storytelling
People interested in social allegory and political themes
Audiences open to poetic, impressionistic narratives
Skip if
You want a conventional plot with clear exposition
You prefer fast-paced, joke-heavy family animation
You dislike abstract or symbolic storytelling
You need strong character dialogue and direct emotional beats
Overview
Boy & the World is one of those animated films that feels handmade in the best sense: tactile, playful, and deeply personal. It follows a child’s search for his father, but the journey expands into a broader vision of labor, inequality, and the pressures of modern life, all filtered through a child’s imagination.
Worth noting
What makes it stand out is how boldly it trusts image, rhythm, and sound over dialogue. The film moves between crayon-like drawings, collage, watercolor, and bursts of color, creating a world that feels both innocent and bruised. It’s accessible on a sensory level even when its symbolism gets abstract.
Bottom line
The result is tender and politically sharp at once. It may not satisfy viewers looking for a traditional narrative arc, but for anyone drawn to animation as an expressive art form, it’s a striking and rewarding watch.
Top Letterboxd reviews
kohyeaahnisqatsi (5★) · 465 likes
i think this might contain anti-capitalist messages but i'm not sure
SilentDawn (4★) · 302 likes
75
Boy & The World depicts a fantastical death of innocence. Towards the end, the animated frame is literally ignited and utilized as a transition to stock footage of industry and despair. A remarkable political work that is as gorgeous as it is thoughtful. Looking out at the train, you just might see yourself passing through.
Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine (4★) · 182 likes
JUNIMATION II: F*** YEAH!
We move now to Brazil, where we find this minimalist yet incredibly stunning animated film that, back in 2015, got nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 88th Academy Awards, and you can clearly see why. With its mix of both drawing, painting and digital, the final result is a film with very little dialogue yet rich in content and storytelling. As with any silent film, a lot of the story is told through visuals. In… more
👽 Zara 👽 (4.5★) · 174 likes
so guess whose sad and hates capitalism hours
Bruno Youn (4★) · 147 likes
Boy & the World is a very original animated film from Brazil, having mostly music and sounds from various instruments as a way to propel the story. The animation is really different from most films of the genre and uses several interesting techniques, such as collages, watercolor paintings and drawings with crayons. It’s an explosion of vibrant colors and just a delight to watch. Similarly to Hayao Miyazaki’s works, there are lots of surreal and fantastical stuff happening here and even… more Boy & the World is a very original animated film from Brazil, having mostly music and sounds from various instruments as a way to propel the story. The animation is really different from most films of the genre and uses several interesting techniques, such as collages, watercolor paintings and drawings with crayons. It’s an explosion of vibrant colors and just a delight to watch. Similarly to Hayao Miyazaki’s works, there are lots of surreal and fantastical stuff happening here and even… more