The Night Boots (2024)

I really enjoyed the simplicity of this short feature. When “Eliot” is sent to bed whilst his family continue to chat around the dinner table, he looks out of the window and is tempted by the forest at the end of their garden. Quietly donning his Wellington boots, he ventures out into the night and climbs a tall tree. When a voice from below asks him what he can see, he looks down to see a small creature posing the question. He can’t see any monster, as he is asked, but descends and now embarks on a few adventures with his new friend before he decides that he must return home. This monochrome animation has a lovely sketch style to it, and much of the boy’s movements are depicted using fades which add a warming degree of extra fantasy to this story of curiosity tinged with just an hint of loneliness too. An effortless film to watch, this, and definitely worth a watch.