Written and directed by Luke Angus, a lonely Inuit must endure the endless summer daylight to be reunited with his lost love.
Solstice greets viewers with warmth and nostalgia, with its lovingly softened palette and tender score. The design of the film has such an interesting texture, it feels like a blend of traditional animation but with the sort of intricate detail and movement that only modern films can capture. The way that the minute pieces of the fabric are alive and can feel very real while Luke Angus still holds the film in that classically wholesome world of animation is an impressive blend.
It makes it so that Solstice can have both that softness and a sharpness, something that builds a great foundation for its emotionally driven story. As the film progresses it also takes on a home-movie feel, which simply further enhances that nostalgia and tenderness. That in itself then evolves into having the air of a classic family adventure. All of the different elements and tones all flow very naturally into one another, building upon each other rather than taking over.
The story is incredibly sweet and heartfelt, with a vein of sadness and loneliness. It’s a classic tale of love and loss, and celebrating life. It reveals itself in a nicely gradual manner, but it feels as though the ending doesn’t quite do it justice. Once it has explained itself and revealed its secrets, it then continues to explore the same point but in a slightly different way. That choice then makes the ending lack power, had it finished earlier it may have been more resounding.
Solstice has a big heart, a lot of emotion and the animation work is stellar. The story is well crafted, with its heart on its sleeve and done with patience and thoughtfulness. The colour and texture of the animation is exceptional and surprisingly satisfying to watch. Luke Angus really put a key focus on the details, and it shows. It simply feels like it closes things on a weaker note, letting things play out a little too long without breaking new ground, missing the mark on empowering itself for a triumphant close.
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