Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2013

The desolate, poverty-stricken island wilderness off New Orleans known as the “Bathtub” is home to a small community of fiercely self-sufficient people who think it’s wonderful. And none more so than a defiant and brave five-year-old named Hushpuppy (played by an astounding rookie named Quvenzhane Wallis) through whose eyes and mind we experience the story. Meanwhile, mythical Ice Age bison liberated by the same climate change that threatens the Bathtub, presumably representing post-affluent America, make their way south. This dark fairy tale is a joyful, challenging and life-affirming movie experience.