Netflix has been getting a lot of ink this past week thanks to its controversial user interface (UI) update. While the service claims the update has made finding new content more “intuitive,” many users are finding the opposite to be true. This update, coupled with Netflix’s tendency to push back “older” content in favor of what they believe is trending, has had horrible effects on some of the best material available on the platform. For example, at least one Netflix gem is the best comic book adaptation on the platform, and you likely will have to directly search for it to find it. We’re talking about Nimona.
Nimona is an animated film that was released in 2023, and it already has a loyal and die-hard fandom. It’s based on a graphic novel of the same name, created by ND Stevenson. Frankly, there are a lot of great things happening in this movie, and it isn’t getting the attention it deserves. Netflix shuffling it into the backlog isn’t going to help. Given how hard Nimona had to work to get this adaptation, that hurts to see.
A Comical Fantasy That Cuts to the Core
Nimona may look like a silly and happy film (or graphic novel) on the surface, but this story isn’t afraid to cut viewers to their core. It’s set in a medieval futuristic kingdom, which is a compelling enough combination on its own. The kingdom cherishes its knights, who famously protect it from monsters beyond the wall. Enter Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), the first commoner to ever stand a chance of getting knighted. This kicks off the plot, as what should have been a beautiful knighting ceremony goes awry.
It’s at this peak in Ballister’s torment that young Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) arrives, a bold and energetic teenager who seemingly has no fear of the world. She turns Ballister’s world upside down, and that’s before she reveals her shapeshifting abilities. Together, the two tear through the kingdom, revealing a conspiracy and the darker inner truths the kingdom has long been looking away from.
What this summary fails to do is capture the shine and emotional triumph that is Nimona. This movie is quite simply, brilliant. It’s deeply emotional, broken, and unafraid to take risks. Critical scenes are marked with an amazing soundtrack, driving points home, and creating these vibrant scenes that will never fade. It makes for an unforgettable experience.
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The Path From Comic to Film
The graphic novel version of Nimona was first released in webcomic form, starting in 2012 and concluding in 2014. It then got a proper paperback in 2015, receiving several awards in the process. Created by ND Stevenson, the graphic novel swept up its readers, and while some details changed for the adaptation, the core of the plot is there. More importantly, the heart is present.
While the options for Nimona were quickly snatched up, the path forward for Nimona was anything but simple. Originally purchased by 20th Century Fox Animation, the movie got far enough along to get a release date and everything. Then Disney’s acquisition of Fox messed everything up (and several other projects). At first, it looked like this would just delay the film. Several more delay announcements followed. In 2021, Disney shuttered Blue Sky Studios, effectively canceling the adaptation. In the years following, several more details came out that made it seem like Disney intentionally tried to suppress Nimona‘s release.
Never fear! This is what Netflix does best. They swooped in to save the day, picking up the rights to Nimona and getting the film back on track. As we all know, it was successfully released in 2023, and thank goodness for it!
[RELATED: Nimona Director Is Ready to Tackle Sequels, Spin Offs]
Why Does Netflix Bury Success?
Let’s be real, Netflix had a problem with its algorithm long before this latest UI update, and this has only made the problem more pronounced. Netflix has historically not been the best about letting viewers know about new seasons of content they’ve enjoyed. For example, the live-action Babysitters Club was infamously canceled due to low numbers, but most fans never even heard that the second season had been released, let alone been able to watch it. The latest UI update made it next to impossible to find the “Remind Me” button, so this problem is liable to get worse before it gets better.
Nimona is a successful film, no matter how one looks at it. It has a star-studded cast, has been nominated for dozens of awards, and even won a few of them. There’s also a strong demand for a sequel, though the radio silence is reason enough to be concerned on that front. So, this begs the question: why does Netflix repeatedly do this? Its audience has been pretty clear about what they want out of the UI, and it isn’t what we’re getting. We want to be able to find the shows we love, and that means letting us break them down by genre, and occasionally by release dates. We don’t want a platform that hides behind arbitrary rules for popularity. That runs counter to the whole point of customized content.
Nimona is available to stream on Netflix.
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