I’m calling it now: Wolfwalkers will take home the Academy Award for Best Animated Film.

Even though I sit here manifesting a win for a film that turned out to be a breakout hit during this year’s unusual film festival landscape, Wolfwalkers most likely won’t need any metaphysical help from me to be recognized by even more critics and audiences alike.

Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, the film is a reimagining of an Irish folklore tale about the mythical creatures called Wolfwalkers. These half-human/half-wolf hybrids have special powers that allow them to communicate with–as well as transform into– wolves when their human form falls asleep.

Wolfwalkers, however, are feared by the townspeople of Kilkenny, Ireland, which is where our film’s young heroine, Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) lives with her father. As the town’s newly appointed head wolf hunter, Robyn’s father commits to conquering more land for the King by ridding the surrounding forest of the beasts. One day, defiantly ignoring her father’s orders to stay home and out of trouble, Robyn enters the forest armed with her bow & arrow, determined to prove that she has what it takes to hunt these problematic creatures, too.

An unexpected kerfuffle leads to an encounter with a young Wolfwalker, Mebh Óg MacTíre (Eva Whittaker), and Robyn ends up bonding with, rather than capturing, the forest-dweller. Mebh, a free-spirit with bright red hair and an even louder personality, introduces Robyn to her enchanting world–the world of the Wolfwalker (in a beautifully choreographed scene set to the film’s anthem, “Running With The Wolves“ by Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA).

Touching on topics like deforestation, man vs nature, and spirituality, the film puts a child-like filter on the very real and very mature situations happening around us today.

A beautiful friendship develops; secrets are shared and vulnerabilities are embraced. Robyn has never felt more seen, but this forces her to make a decision. Torn between her judgmental upbringing towards the forest creatures and her loyalty to save Mebh and the wolves, Robyn must decide if protecting her newfound tribe is worth losing her father’s respect and trust for good.

Wolfwalkers, the latest film from award-winning studio Cartoon Saloon, has a darker undertone than the typical “cartoon.” Touching on topics like deforestation, man vs. nature, and spirituality, the film puts a child-like filter over a mature world that is very much happening around us today.

Technology and A.I. continue to push the creative boundaries of animated filmmaking (just take a look at the dazzling illumination in Netflix’s Over the Moon, whose 3D-animated lighting is a skilled achievement). But to me, there is no replacing the beauty of a hand-drawn world–whose every line rings intentional and heartfelt–and which Wolkfwakers showcases magnificently.

Perhaps the purest of the film’s intentions, however, is the belief that we all have a wild spirit animal inside of us, which can only be accessed when in tune with the natural world. Wolfwalkers is an entertaining hour and a half, sure; but its commentary on compassion, environmentalism, and genuine friendship is the film’s greatest gift.

Distributed by AppleTV+, ‘Wolfwalkers’ is available to watch on Apple TV+ this Friday, 12/11.