Entergalactic review: Is the new Netflix film worth watching?

Kid Cudi's Entergalactic premiered on Netflix on September 30, 2022. The vibrant animated film, which was termed a "TV special," had so much more than an ordinary animated rom-com in almost every way possible. Backed by the vibrant soundscape of Kid Cudi's song, the film was supposed to be promotional material for his upcoming album, but it ended up being so much more.

Directed by Fletcher Moules, the animated film follows the two leads in their respective journeys, street artist Jabari (Scott Mescudi aka Kid Cudi) and enigmatic photographer Meadow (Jessica Williams). But beyond the characters, the film is about connections. In a very mature take on love and life, this film succeeded in achieving everything it set out to achieve, maybe even more. This is perhaps one of the most promising animated films that was released on Netflix in recent times.

Read on for a detailed review of Entergalatic.

---

Entergalactic review: Less is more in the bustling present-day

Entergalactic is one of the rare examples of films where tried-and-tested formulas work perfectly to produce something new and brilliant. Aside from the beautifully colored animation, with an intricate eye for lights and shadows, the plot of the film is not new, per se. But that does not bother the Kid Cudi-led film, which was also one of the pivotal elements in making the film stand out.

Entergalactic embraces its simplicity. It does not experiment too much with the plot and keeps the conviction airtight. As the creators believe in the vision, it also makes it appealing to the masses. The familiarity does not take anything away from the film. It adds to it inexplicably.

The characters are solidly written, well-rounded figures who can hold their own in any setting. Kid Cudi is brilliant with his voice acting and convincing in every step. So is Jessica Williams, the more sophisticated and eerily charming counterpart to Kudi's Jabari. Their love story unfolds almost methodically, but the film never gets boring in any way.

This is the beauty of going for a more simple but solid plot. The plotline of Entergalactic is not the stuff of dreams (or nightmares). It's short, concise, and solid. Everyone inside the film, from animators to voice actors, seemed to believe in the project. That conviction is visible in every frame of the smooth flowing colorful film.

Coming to the most pivotal part of Entergalactic, the music is the driving factor behind the film in almost every way. As the film was originally visualized as a TV show, it has an episodic feel scattered in its one-and-a-half-hour runtime. Along with this episodic breakdown, the songs play a pivotal part in expressing emotions and elevating the scenes.

But given how well the music adheres to the scene, it is evident that the scenes were written for the songs and not the other way around. It was originally a way to promote his upcoming album.

It is unclear if the film has served that purpose (hopefully, yes) but it has truly become a film that has something to say and is not afraid to become its own entity in a rapidly growing market. Most importantly, it knows what it wants and takes it. Entergalactic will be remembered for a long, long time.

Entergalactic is now streaming on Netflix.