The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse reintroduces meaningful life lessons

One day, I came across a snippet of this film while scrolling through Instagram Reels. The Boy tells the Mole and the Horse that the Fox does not speak much. The Mole replies, “I know, and it’s lovely he’s with us.”

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse is a British animated short film directed by Peter Baynton and Charlie Mackesy, who also wrote and illustrated the book of the same title on which the film is based. The film is nominated for the Academy Award’s Best Short Film (Animation). It’s currently only on Apple TV+.

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse is a heartwarming story about self-reflection and kindness while friendship develops between the characters. The short film begins with the Boy (Jude Coward Nicoll), who is lost. First, he meets the Mole (Tom Hollander). The Boy expresses that he wants to find a home, and the Mole decides he wants to be a part of his journey. Shortly after, they encounter the Fox (Idris Elba), who at first hunts them but is distracted. After running toward the noise, he gets trapped in a snare. At first, the Fox is quite mean and threatens to kill the Mole and the Boy who want to save him. The Mole explains that the Fox will die if he does not free the Fox. So the Fox lets them. Afterward, the Fox follows them on their journey at a distance. Finally, they encounter the Horse (Gabriel Byrne), who feels lost despite knowing where his home is. He, too, shortly joins them.

Entering the film, it’s confusing. The first time through, it felt like there was no story. Nothing major happens. The characters converse with each other while in search of a home for the boy. It eventually made me question how this little boy is lost, and no one is looking for him. Does he have parents? How is he out so far from civilization? Then, I remembered there are talking animals so not everything has to make sense. But after processing the film, I realized that the conversations between the characters are just as meaningful as whether the film had an actual plot. Their conversations are the story. They talk about their encounters with life as they face obstacles together. The Boy is such a great character in that he is vulnerable and willing to learn from his new animal friends, who offer him a lot of guidance.

Every conversation had is meaningful and touches the heart. The themes and lessons of the film are cheesy and surely familiar to most, but after each encounter, the Boy has, the lessons become predictable. It’s hard to say if there is a most memorable quote because every dialogue in this film is a good quote. But Mackesy writes these themes in a gentle way that will stick with you. For example, we all learned at some point, probably in elementary school, that how we react to situations matters. Mackesy words it so much more beautifully. He writes, “One of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things.”

The animation is beautiful. Mackesy and Baynton told the Gold Derby how detail-oriented and careful they were while drawing the characters. Mackesy could see how the thickness of the ink line on the Boy’s leg threw off the “balance”. They especially paid attention to every frame. Mackesy said, “…if you pause the film, it should be a perfect drawing.” Their attention truly paid off. The characters act naturally. The Boy fidgets around and makes clumsy gestures like any child would. The way the Fox and the Horse move is similar to real-life horses and foxes. The characters’ muted color palettes felt warm and nostalgic. While the setting is in a serene, almost all-white, and snowy land, bare of anything besides trees, the characters aren’t eyesores. The film loved to show still and far-away shots that emphasize how the characters are the only ones out there, and they are together in the vast expanse of snow.

Most might think this short film is for children since it is an animation. However, I believe this is for everyone. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse is an inspirational reminder about life: we should accept ourselves for who we are and love each other. We should step back and ask for help because, as the Horse said, “Asking for help is not giving up; it’s refusing to give up.”

Even though the lessons taught in this film are a little cheesy, they are classic and timeless, and everyone can benefit from them.