‘Nimona’ is a new animated film streaming on Netflix. Directed by Nicky Bruno and Troy Quane, this action-filled adventure film has its heart in the right place. Instead of pitting two opposite sides in a conventional good-vs-evil narrative, it challenges the notions of heroes and monsters. It places its characters in a timely setting and presents them in a highly empathetic way. The script is adapted from N.D. Stevenson’s eponymous comic.
One of the key takeaways from Nimona is how it forces us to challenge our beliefs regarding the status quo and makes us confront propaganda. Filled with refreshing humour and a thought-provoking storyline, the film is utterly delightful. It features a brilliant voice-acting cast of Riz Ahmed, Chloë Grace Moretz, Beck Bennett, Eugene Lee Yang, RuPaul, Indya Moore and Frances Conroy among others.
*Spoilers ahead*
Nimona (2023) ‘Netflix’ Movie Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
What happens in Netflix’s animated film ‘Nimona’?
Years ago, Gloreth saved her kingdom from a threatening monster. While the monster’s presence introduced fear in the lives of its residents, Gloreth emerged as a hero. However, despite the monster’s absence, the fear continued to lurk around in their hearts and minds.
Over 1000 years later, Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed) is supposed to receive the knighthood of this very kingdom. Due to his brave-hearted attack on monsters at a young age, Queen Valerin (voiced by Lorraine Toussaint) has taken the unorthodox decision to honour him with a knighthood.
Over the years, Ballister has proved his worth for this title. But the commoners are not on board with it. Still, Ambrosius Goldenloin (voiced by Eugene Lee Yang) continues to love, support and motivate him. On the other hand, the likes of Sir Thoddeus Sureblade (voiced by Beck Bennett) tries to make him doubt himself. Yet, Ballister maintains his humility, hoping the day to end well.
How do Ballister and Nimona meet?
At last, at the ceremony, the queen hands Ballister his rightful sword. Unfortunately, the moment he holds it in his hands, it releases a green laser, which ends up killing the queen. As his duty to the throne, Ambrosius cuts Ballister’s arm. The event overnight turns Ballister into a villain, among the commoners. He stays hidden inside a chamber and builds a mechanical arm as a replacement. Moments after doing so, he hears a knock on the door. He opens it and finds no one outside. But the next moment, he notices a red-haired girl next to him.
The girl introduces herself as Nimona. Earlier, she saw Ballister being considered a villain and thus, decided to join hands with him. In the chamber, she asks him to let her be his sidekick in fulfilling his dark desires. He refuses her help in her fantasy mission. Soon after, the guards arrest him and put him inside a cell. That is when he accepts her help in the escape. While she is still motivated by her destructive desires, he tries to bring her towards a brighter side.
Suddenly, Ambrosius and the other guards notice Ballister and try to capture him. That is when Nimona reveals her identity as a shape-shifter by turning into a rhinoceros. Once again, she helps Ballister in rescuing the threat to his life. After the rescue, she shares her research. She believes that the squire knows about the sword handed over to him. That is why they decide to go out and reveal the truth.
By that time, Ballister and Nimona have become the most wanted criminals in the kingdom. Ambrosius has taken charge of the mission to find and capture Ballister. Since Ambrosius learns about Ballister’s arrival at a train station, Nimona decides to help him. She shape-shifts and turns into Ballister. That is how she distracts the guards and helps Ballister stay hidden.
Since she keeps changing from a human to a rhinoceros to a rat or to any other being, he becomes puzzled. He tries to pinpoint her identity, but she refuses to limit her by any particular definition. She refers to herself as Nimona.
Who replaced Ballister’s sword and why?
Later on, Nimona turns into a sinister baby and brings Diego the Squire (voiced by Julio Torres) into her trap. She and Ballister manage to flee the crowded market with Squire and question him about the sword. Diego shows video footage that makes it clear – the director replaced his sword with the laser one. She did it because she did not want Ballister to gain a knighthood from the Queen. To ensure it does not happen, she went to the lengths of getting the Queen killed.
After this revelation, Ballister and Nimona decide to meet Ambrosius to show this evidence. But by the time they could do that, the guards destroy Squire’s phone. Since Ambrosius refuses to trust Ballister, Nimona shapeshifts into a dragon to save themselves. While she scares off the guards, she also shows a softer side of hers to a young, scared kid. Unfortunately, the propaganda against the monster is to such a length that he continues to see her as a threat.
After the escape, Ballister contemplates their perceived image in the public eye. He reckons people will not change their perception no matter what he does. Nimona notes how he changed the way he saw her. Once his mood lightens up, she concocts a plan to clean his image. She shapeshifts into Ambrosius, meets the director of the institute, and makes her speak the truth about the sword. Once they get the confession on tape, Nimona reveals her identity and frightens the director.
Ballister and Nimona leak that video, which tarnishes the director’s reputation. The commoners start questioning their blind faith in the institute. Soon after, the director goes into damage control mode. She tells the citizens that the person in the video is not her, but a shape-shifting Nimona. She shifts the blame on Nimona and makes her the villain of this story.
Nimona (2023) ‘Netflix’ Movie Ending Explained:
What does Ambrosius tell Ballister about Nimona?
Ambrosius secretly meets Ballister to share his recent discovery. Nimona is evil Gloreth’s monster. He asks Ballister to team up with him against Nimona. But Ballister refuses to believe that his new friend is capable of such a wicked manipulation. He meets Nimona and asks her about her identity. She gets heartbroken seeing him question her intentions. Hurt by that betrayal, she decides to run away from him. She had always struggled with finding a companion and Ballister’s distrust wrecks her.
What happened in Nimona’s past?
Years ago, Nimona experienced a similar loss. As a child, she befriended a yellow-haired girl in a kingdom. They become close pals in no time and unlike others, she was not frightened by Nimona’s shape-shifting. However, her parents and the residents soon notice the two playing together. Since Nimona had turned into a beer, they found her presence threatening to their lives. Because of their worry, Nimona and the girl parted ways. This girl later became known as Gloreth who saved the commoners of her kingdom from a monster.
Because of this traumatic incident, Nimona struggled to make sense of her identity – no matter how long she lived that trauma. Is she human? Is she a monster? Their concerns hurt her like needles in her heart. Due to its immense emotional pain, she decides to embrace her darker side. She turns into an entity that threatens the kingdom’s peaceful existence. Unlike the institute’s guards intent on hurting her, Ballister apologises to her. She finds a compassionate friend in him that she always sought. So, she lets go of the darkness.
Seeing the plan working against her, the director of the institute summons her guards to kill the monster. Ambrosius, who sees Ballister’s reunion with Nimona, begs to differ. He is worried that, in their attempt to get rid of the monster, they will end up threatening the lives of their citizens. Instead of questioning her own beliefs, Nimona rather decides to hurt the very guards who stood by her through thick and thin.
What happens to Nimona and Ballister in the end?
While the director flees the scene, the laser poses a threat to the commoners’ lives. Nimona decides to sacrifice herself to save everyone. Ballister laments this heartbreaking loss. Henceforth, the citizens start considering Nimona as their hero and not a monstrous villain.
While Ballister receives his title, he and Ambrosius begin their life together. Despite all the good things happening in his life, he cannot help but miss his young friend. While he grapples with Nimona’s death, he suddenly hears a knock on the door. He opens it but finds no one outside. But like before, Nimona sneaks up on him like before.
Nimona shows a sweet victory for a traditionally considered outsider and a traditionally considered monster. Through that, it challenges our notions of good vs evil and how much of those are based on the propaganda fed to us. The director’s symbolic loss makes the story end on a hopeful note.
