In an era of cynical reboots, April and the Extraordinary World is a reminder of what animation can do: build a universe from scratch, break your heart with a talking cat, and make you grateful for the light switch on your wall.
The film explores heavy themes: ecological collapse (the world is literally running out of trees and clean air), the ethics of animal testing, and the totalitarian impulse to suppress knowledge. It is a film for adults dressed up as a children’s adventure. If you are a fan of The Triplets of Belleville , The City of Lost Children , or Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky (which this film directly references), April and the Extraordinary World belongs on your shelf. April and the Extraordinary World -2015- FRENCH...
In the crowded landscape of modern animation, where CGI sequels and superhero origin stories dominate the box office, a forgotten gem from France often gets lost in the shuffle. But for those who crave a What If? that is both intellectually rigorous and visually breathtaking, April and the Extraordinary World ( Avril et le monde truqué , 2015) is a revelation. In an era of cynical reboots, April and
This isn't your typical steampunk fantasy of gleaming brass goggles. This is dieselpunk noir —grimy, desperate, and filled with the melancholic realization that progress has died. Our hero, Avril (voiced by Marion Cotillard in the French dub), is the granddaughter of the missing scientist. Orphaned and on the run from the secret police, she lives a feral existence in the catacombs of Paris with her cat (Darwin, who can talk thanks to a family serum) and her grandfather’s last secret: a powerful fuel source. If you are a fan of The Triplets
You will spend half the movie just staring at the cityscapes: elevated steam trains crashing through apartment buildings, dirigibles the size of aircraft carriers, and the constant, oppressive haze of a world choking on its own soot. It is simultaneously retro and futuristic—a 1940s that never was, seen through the eyes of a 19th-century illustrator on an acid trip. Without giving too much away, the title refers to more than just the alternate history. The film’s third act pivots into genuine science fiction. The mystery of the missing scientists leads to a hidden utopia (or is it a gilded cage?) populated by a truly bizarre cast of intelligent, test-taking lizards.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Kanji. Watch it in French with subtitles for the full effect—Marion Cotillard’s voice acting is superb.
Yes, you read that correctly. And somehow, it works perfectly.