White Plastic Sky

The 2023 Hungarian animation by Sarolta Szabó and Tibor Bánóczki is set in 2123. In a world whose resources have run out, every citizen is turned into a tree at fifty; when Stefan learns that his wife Nora has volunteered for the procedure early, he sets out to save her. The film was made in rotoscope, drawn over the movement of real actors, and the result gives an odd sense of reality. Its idea is scarcity turning into a moral system, and people consenting to it. The visual design is strong, particularly the sequences in the tree city. The pace is slow and the story stays emotionally cold. Who it's for: viewers who like animation for adults and science fiction. Who it's not for: families looking for animation for children, or anyone wanting a fast narrative.