Canvas (2020)

Canvas Review

Canvas is a 2020 animated short film from Netflix. It’s a sweet movie about grief.

A grandfather suffers after the loss of his wife, so he can’t paint anymore. But when his granddaughter finds the hidden art studio of his, memories of the wife flash back and he is once again inspired to start painting. This is one of those animated movies that are about death and grief, and although familiar by now, it works because it’s so tender and very moving.

The main character is wonderfully depicted and so well designed and the animation overall is very polished. Everything looks great, the score is lovely and the movie is just elegantly composed throughout. I found the granddaughter cute and their relationship idealized and wonderful, but I would have liked to have seen a better, more interesting trigger for his memories to start flooding in and for his strive for painting to return. It should have been more original.

Canvas isn’t original, but it’s gorgeously animated and scored while constantly being moving and very sweet.

My Rating – 4