Three years ago, when Nimona came out, I was so excited to watch it. It was being lauded as one of the best Netflix movies of 2023 (which was a particularly strong year), with a poignant message of acceptance — especially for the LGBTQ+ community and others who have experienced discrimination. Shamefully, I never got around to it, and Nimona fell further and further down my watch list. However, thanks to Pride Month and the trusty Netflix algorithm, it recently popped up again, and after finally watching it, I can’t stop thinking about one particularly powerful message.
First, a quick plot recap to get us all caught up: Nimona is based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson (but is very different from the source material). The plot centers around Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight who is falsely accused of killing the queen and teams up with the titular shapeshifter to prove his innocence. The animated flick is filled with humor, heart, action and quotable lines like, “Arm-chopping is not a love language.” And while that’s a good message, it’s not the one that stuck out to me.
