Boy mole fox horse & the 6th Sense *Spoiler alert - from MNHQ*

[dieselKiller]

AIBU to think that this cartoon has the same twist as The Sixth Sense?

Spoiler alert added in the title by MNHQ after we had a few reports about the content of the opening post.

Yep. I know children's literature/TV/film is usually pretty didactic but come on... some semblance of a plot rather than "sad little boy and his talking horse therapist" (which sounds pretty cool, tbh) tick off all the major issues de jour.

I prefer listening to it on Audible, which is a bit strange given that the visuals are so important. I listened to it during lockdown, it helped ease my anxiety.

And no, I didn’t associate it with The Sixth Sense at all.

Exactly. It’s (deliberately) creepy. The setting is a cold, isolated, other-worldly place. The protagonist is confused, disconnected from normal sensations, and consumed by an unfulfilled longing for home. The pacing adds to the creepiness.

Agree it was awful. I didn’t even enjoy the visuals. The background was nice, but I didn’t think the figures looked like they fit in, and even the characters didn’t entirely fit in with each other. I thought the horse looked especially out of place with its thick outline.

Thought there might have been a hint of a theme about choosing your family if you don’t fit in with the one you were born into, but presented in a really bleak, trite way. Disappointingly dumb.

Whole bleak mood would make more sense if the boy was dead as OP suggests or, even better, in a permanent coma/nightmare state.

I think the opening scene is key in providing the clues necessary to understand the entire work.

I got the same feeling, it was a bit unsettling. Love the animation style and the cute characters, but for me it felt like a combination of the Dumbledore scene in the final Harry Potter movie and a self help book. Such a shame because it looks beautiful! The likes of Zog or The Highway Rat have positive messages but blend them into a stronger story and less on-the-nose dialogue.

I got gifted this this book by a friend ,who was excited for me to read it
i think she thought she was gifting me some words of wisdom
but tbh I didn’t pick up on a deeper meaning …assuming that there is a deeper meaning .
i just read a childrens book ..it was nice ,but still just a childrens book

I was fairly underwhelmed by the 30 mins yesterday however I was sent the book during lockdown and it truly meant something then and that still resonates. The animation is of course beautiful. I think the book is more powerful. It was a 'gentle' watch which I found triggering due to when I received the book. I can see why, with no prior knowledge of the book, you would not feel much watching it. I hope next year they do another Julia Donaldson!

I have been following the artist for some time on social media, looking at his art work.

I enjoyed the animation

I especially liked the flying horse, because I didn't know that the horse could fly !

As with any kind of art, I think that is good to find parts that resonate with yourself

We all need a bit of kindness

We all need a bit of magic

Oi, spoiler alert please!

I’m glad it wasn’t longer, it really hit me hard and I ended up crying at it. When the boy said something like “you know everything about me and still love me?” Gulp.

I watched it and also thought he was dead and trying to get to "heaven".

He was in deep snow and never got cold or wet, not eaten or drunk over 3 days, didn't sleep......

If that's not the case it makes no sense and would just be random schmaltzy platitudes with some very pretty animation.

The mother dying in motherland was also not very jolly.

It’s not a children’s book though is it?😬

I’m glad I’m not alone.

I guess history will judge whether it’s The Divine Comedy for the 21st century or just a sequence of “Hang in there, baby” cat posters in animated form.

Saccharine nonsense.

It’s not a spoiler.
it’s a theory.

I guess history will judge whether it’s The Divine Comedy for the 21st century or just a sequence of “Hang in there, baby” cat posters in animated form

I don't think we need to wait that long, if I'm honest.

Totally agree! Can’t be a spoiler as it’s open to interpretation!

We loved it in our house, me, Dh and 14 year old ds. Those of you who complain your very young kids didn’t enjoy it, that’s because it wasn’t a children’s story.

There were a few nice bits but I thought the horse was the Holy Ghost and the other characters were just meant to show an innocent human and animals (of different sizes and demeanours). The landscape was frozen but the river was running and there were lights in the distance which were more humans. It struck me that of the four friends the one that wouldn’t have been welcome by other humans was the fox. He would have been left behind.

Ah but we were thinking the fox could go and be an urban fox and get fat going down dustbins
The mole surely would have had a harder time assimilating to urban life ?

I thought it was absolutely enchanting.
I followed Charlie Mackesy's original drawings of the Boy, the Mole, the Fox & the Horse on instagram when he was posting them during the covid lockdowns to give people hope. Many, many found them comforting.
The book was then conceived after the huge response on Instagram to the drawings, and then a linear story was created for the film.
No obvious similarity or connection to the 6th sense.

But as an original response to the worrying time of the pandemic ( especially the early months) - the film might make more sense.

Ah ok thank you for explaining this. Thinking of the programme as a series of Instagram posts from early covid makes a lot more sense. Still find it tedious as a film but at least understand it more

Could somebody please explain what happens? I tried to watch it 3 times today but my pesky children kept talking over it so all that happened was I kept hearing the same bizarre self help phrases and feeling queasy with how odd they appeared in a children’s film. Didn’t see what happened after the horse was flying! Can’t find the ending anywhere online