The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (film)
A lost boy finds home through friendship with a mole, fox, and horse.
In 2022, an animated short film based on Charlie Mackesy's picture book was released, directed by Mackesy and Peter Baynton. The story follows four characters—a boy, a mole, a fox, and a horse—who become unlikely friends while journeying to find the boy's home. The voice cast includes Jude Coward Nicoll, Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, and Gabriel Byrne. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and the BAFTA for Best Short Animation.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Peter Baynton; Charlie Mackesy
- Screenplay
- Jon Croker; Charlie Mackesy
- Based on
- The Boy
- the Mole
- the Fox and the Horse
- Charlie Mackesy
- Producer
- Cara Speller
- Matthew Freud
- Hannah Minghella
- J. J. Abrams
- Starring
- Jude Coward Nicoll
- Tom Hollander
- Idris Elba
- Gabriel Byrne
- Editing
- Daniel Budin
- Music
- Isobel Waller-Bridge
- Studio
- Apple Studios
- Bad Robot Productions
- NoneMore Productions
Facts from the source article.
Plot
A boy, lost in a snowy landscape with no home to his name, meets a friendly mole who offers to guide him. They decide to follow a river, hoping it will lead to a village. A hungry fox chases them, but they escape by hiding in a tree. Later, they hear the fox in trouble and find it caught in a trap. Though the fox threatens the mole, the mole bravely frees it anyway, and the fox slinks away ashamed. The next day, the mole falls into the river and is swept away. The fox, despite the boy’s fears, races after the mole and pulls him to safety. The fox then trails them from a distance. The pair soon meet a horse who has been rejected by his own herd. The four become close friends, talking about kindness, courage, and what it means to care for others. The boy spots lights from a village at night, thinking he might finally have a home, but loses sight of it by morning. The horse reveals he is actually a pegasus—a fact that made other horses jealous—but his new friends accept him completely. They fly together on his back until they find the village again. The group prepares to say goodbye to the boy, but he chooses not to enter the village. He says home is wherever the people you love are. So the four friends stay together, gazing up at the stars.
Production
Charlie Mackesy published the illustrated graphic book in 2019 based on his Instagram sketches. The book became a bestseller with over 250,000 copies sold in early 2020, and several producers tried to adapt it into a feature-length work until producers Cara Speller and Matthew Freud asked Mackesy to adapt it into an animated short. Speller discovered the book without prior knowledge, liked it after reading, and felt there was material for a cinematic piece. She contacted Mackesy and Freud to discuss a short-length adaptation. Speller considered it important that Mackesy be at the center of any team put together to make the film. She and Freud started NoneMore Productions to bankroll the film; J. J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella also produced under Bad Robot Productions. The animation was done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 120 people from more than 20 countries working on it. The animation team used pencil ink for characters and watercolour-inspired texture in the background to match the book's loose, unfinished styling.
Release
The film's distribution was split: Apple Studios handled it as an Apple Original Film for most of the world, while the BBC managed its release in the United Kingdom. This plan was made public in October 2022. Two promotional trailers appeared on 9 and 12 December, followed by an exclusive two-minute clip on Collider on 21 December. The short film first aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 24 December 2022, then became available globally on Apple TV+ the next day.
Reception
Emily Bernard of Collider gave four-and-a-half stars out of five, saying the hand-drawn illustrations translate beautifully to the screen without losing their neat-yet-messy aesthetic, and that the movie feels like a moving book. Megan Graye of The Independent wrote that the 30-minute story leaves viewers feeling hopeful and probably a little teary. Anita Singh of The Daily Telegraph praised the animation, noting a debt to Winnie-the-Pooh and The Little Prince, and said tuning in allows one to switch off from the world for half an hour. In a negative review, James Walton of The Spectator said the film's hope of joining The Snowman as a tear-jerking Christmas classic is nakedly and desperately apparent on screen, with the programme practically begging to be found charming and touching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (film)?
The music for The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was composed by Isobel Waller-Bridge.
Who wrote The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (film)?
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was written by Jon Croker and Charlie Mackesy.
How long is The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (film)?
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has a running time of 34 minutes.
Who distributed The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (film)?
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was distributed by Apple TV+ (United States), BBC One and BBC iPlayer (United Kingdom).
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