Set in 1650s Ireland, the hand-drawn dark fantasy ‘Wolfwalkers’ follows Robyn Goodfellowe, a hunter’s young daughter who befriends Mebh, a wild girl from the forest. But Mebh is no ordinary girl, she belongs to the rare tribe of “wolfwalkers,” people who can speak to and command wolves, and who transform into wolves themselves at night.
Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, ‘Wolfwalkers’ stars Honor Kneafsey as the voice of protagonist Robyn, an aspiring huntress, while Eva Whittaker voices Mebh, the fierce young leader of a wolf pack.
Robyn has only recently moved to Ireland with her hunter father and is eager to follow in his footsteps. Armed with a crossbow and her loyal bird, Robyn is determined to hunt wolves, while her protective father wants her to stay home and do the cleaning. When she secretly follows him on a hunt, Robyn comes face to face with a wolf and prepares to make her first kill. Things don’t go as planned, however, and she soon encounters Mebh, one of the last surviving wolfwalkers, whose presence begins to change Robyn’s worldview.
Robyn lives in a time shaped by superstition, oppression, and rapid change, with her father working under an authoritarian “Lord Protector” determined to expand towns and wipe out the wolves inhabiting the surrounding forests. Through this conflict, ‘Wolfwalkers’ explores how unchecked urbanization pushes humans into direct opposition with nature.
Through Robyn, the film shows how easily children absorb the beliefs of the adults around them, since her father sees nothing wrong with killing wolves, neither does she. It’s through her friendship with Mebh, the forest-dwelling wolfwalker, that Robyn comes to appreciate the beauty, freedom, and emotional pull of the wild and the wolves she once was so excited about hunting.
Not just that, the timeline of the story is set against the backdrop of the English invasion of Ireland, so the film also engages with themes of cultural erasure. The invaders dismiss local beliefs in forest spirits, animals, and wolfwalkers as mere legend, even as the people who live there understand these forces to be very real. But all these weighty ideas are delivered with warmth, humor, and a sense of joy.
‘Wolfwalkers’ looks stunning right from its opening frame, with soft, dreamy hand-drawn visuals that clearly come from human artistry. Though digital tools are used in the process, the animation never loses its handmade feel or emotional warmth. The animation is produced by the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon, the team behind fantasy films like ‘Song of the Sea’ and ‘My Father’s Dragon’.
From its gorgeous, hand-drawn visuals, which are bursting with color, sparkle, and magic, to its enchanting, folklore-infused score, ‘Wolfwalkers’ is a complete sensory delight for animation lovers. Its themes and character arcs may feel familiar, but the film wraps them in such artistry that it still feels like a little box of magic, one that holds your attention right through to its final moments.
