Animated productions in which talking animals trot off on great big adventures and learn Important Life Lessons are a dime a dozen, but The Lost Tiger is a little different to standard fare. It’s the first Australian animated feature to be written and directed by an Indigenous woman, Bardi film-maker Chantelle Murray, who rolls out plenty of children’s movie tropes but imbues the experience with some unexpected heft.
Potentially cheesy subjects – like home and belonging – are unpacked without that terrible lecturing feel that makes you want to bolt for the exit and curse the day you decided to have children (kidding, kidding). There’s nothing amazing about this movie but you can always feel it coming from a place of thought and care, even when it makes sharp plot turns and leans too hard on formula.
