When it comes to the best movies of 2024, there are plenty that fit the bill. We could bring up Oscar’s Best Picture winner, Anora, or we could talk about the Best International Film, I’m Still Here, but today, I’m going to stick to animated films. And, of course, that means I’m going to talk about Flow.
While I’ve discussed my favorite 2024 animated films in detail before, I’ve never given myself the time to write an article specifically about Flow. Some of my colleagues have joined the fan club—like Philip Sledge, who wrote about watching Flow with his family—but, I hadn’t revisited the movie.
Until now, that is, when I was on a six-hour flight back to New York and needed something to pass the time. Flow was available, so I clicked on it and started rewatching the film that had meant so much to me in 2024.
It still hits, even knowing how it ends, but I have to say there’s one aspect that changed my perspective on both Cat and Whale – which is what I’m calling them because they don’t have any actual names in the movie. And, my mind was changed so much that I have to talk about it.
I Always Thought That Cat And Whale Were Sort Of The Same For A Time
I always believed Cat and Whale to sort of be the same when it comes to their personalities.
Cat, to me, was a loner, which lines up with the way most cats are. They tend to roam the world on their own, scrounging for meals or whatever the case may be, and if they happen to find a friendly human along the way, good for them. Whales are a lot more social, from what I know, at least with their own family, but this whale was always alone.
In fact, we never see Whale with anyone else. This is why, for a time, I thought Cat and Whale were the same type of character. Both are loners who prefer to roam the world alone and because of that, there’s a mutual understanding between them. It’s a reason why I think Whale helps Cat when Cat is drowning in the ocean and can’t use his small paw to get back to the surface (horrifying, by the way, scarier than any of the best horror movies out there).
But upon rewatching, I started to notice something about these two, especially with the ending.
But Now I’ve Started To Realize That Their Roles Reverse At The End
One of the best moments of Flow is at the very end, when we see Cat staring into a puddle surrounded by his new friends. This parallels the beginning moment of him staring into the puddle alone, and it’s a great way to end his story.
But, the moment with Whale – when Cat finds it beached up on the shore because the water levels have dropped drastically – that’s when I began to realize something. Their roles were never the same – their lives have shifted because of the circumstances.
When the floods began, Whale was a lot more at home with it (for obvious reasons) than Cat was. While Cat was struggling to survive on its own without friends, Whale was as happy as a duck in a pond — or rather, a giant mammal in a huge ocean. Cat needed friends to survive. And for a moment, Whale was that friend when it saved Cat — a friend in a time where Whale was comfortable.
But now, Whale is alone, dying on the beach, desperate for help, for friends. But unfortunately, in this scenario, he can’t have the one thing that Cat now has over him to be at ease in his darkest hour.
And then there’s Cat, who is no longer alone—and has friends—but can do nothing to help the Whale like it helped him. While he is now comfortable with the ground, as the water level has fallen drastically, he can’t do anything to ease the Whale’s troubles. All he can do is comfort him with friends nearby.
That sort of realization is a gut punch. It’s instances like this that make me cry as much as I did when I watched Past Lives for the first time. And it’s something I will never forget.
It Really Wraps Up The Story Very Nicely
The best part is that it really wraps up the story of both Cat and Whale a lot better than I previously thought it did. It alters our perspectives, changes how we feel about the characters, and tidies up a story that had more twists and turns than a backwoods road. It made me want to cry and laugh all at the same time.
There’s something beautiful about it, too. The fact that these two mammals, so different in build, structure, and everything else, share this moment that’s filled with human-like emotion – loneliness and this need for companionship. It’s something you would never expect, and it hits hard.
Granted, we do see a whale rise above the ocean in a post-credits scene, so who knows – the Whale might have made it out alive. But for now, I think I’m content with how this ended, even as tragically beautiful as it is.
If you haven’t had the chance to see Flow, it’s available on Max and is a film that will totally change your outlook on life in general. Yes, I’m talking a big game about it, but there’s a reason it was a part of the winners at the 2025 Academy Awards. You don’t want to miss it.