Onward

Dan Scanlon’s 2020 animation is set in a suburb that forgot magic. Ian botches the spell meant to return his father for a day, only the lower half appears, and the brothers have until sunset to find a second stone. The boldest decision keeps the father a pair of legs almost throughout, so one object carries gag and grief. The ending withholds the reunion from its protagonist: Ian never sees his father’s face, Barley does, after admitting he was too frightened to say goodbye. Ian cedes his turn, having worked out Barley was the father in his life. The premise is the director’s own: Scanlon and his brother, with no memory of their father, first heard his voice on a cassette. A development swap shaped the rest: Ian was originally the magic enthusiast, and moving it to Barley made him the audience’s stand in. A line from Officer Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe, mentioning a girlfriend, had the film banned in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; Russia changed the line instead. Cinemas then shut and the 6 March release went digital two weeks later, hitting Disney+ on 3 April. A good fit if a father who stays a pair of legs, carrying gag and grief, appeals. Not for anyone who needs Ian himself to reach his father’s face.