A still from the oscar nominated animated short film The Boy The Mole The Fox and The Horse.

This Inspirational Oscar-Nominated Animated Short Is Already Beloved by TikTok

Lately while scrolling through my TikTok FYP, I’ve been consistently seeing clips from an animated short film called The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse. The film is apparently based on a children’s book that I never read, so I was unprepared for the emotional journey I was about to embark on with my first watch.

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The aesthetics of the film are drop-dead gorgeous and the voice acting is soft, yet evocative. Moreover, the dialogue, oh god, it breaks my heart and puts it together all at once. The story is ultimately a greater exploration of what it means to depend on others with a vulnerable heart, and what it means to become who you need to be in order to be happy. A very tall order, achievable only through the magic of animation and childlike fables.

So I was delighted to hear that this short film was nominated for the 2023 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Normally, when these sorts of things take off on social media, I find they’re just kind of derivative and unworthy of praise, but The Boy is more than worthy of this sort of attention. People are being drawn to it because it’s atypically full of heart and love, considering the current market, and I think we all kind of need that right now. I know this is ultimately a story for kids, but when I saw this scene in particular I was reduced to a puddle:

You can currently watch The Boy on Apple TV+—which yes, picking and choosing streaming apps is annoying, but this film is worth it. The team has worked on it for years, through quarantine even, and it makes me feel really warm that it’s getting so much acclaim.

(Featured Image: Apple TV+, BBC One)


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Madeline Carpou
Madeline (she/her) is a staff writer with a focus on AANHPI and mixed-race representation. She enjoys covering a wide variety of topics, but her primary beats are music and gaming. Her journey into digital media began in college, primarily regarding audio: in 2018, she started producing her own music, which helped her secure a radio show and co-produce a local history podcast through 2019 and 2020. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz summa cum laude, her focus shifted to digital writing, where she's happy to say her History degree has certainly come in handy! When she's not working, she enjoys taking long walks, playing the guitar, and writing her own little stories (which may or may not ever see the light of day).