The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

movie

TV-G, 2022, Animation, Short

WISE
88%

WISE Score

75

Avg. Tomatometer

Oscar-winning watercolor meditation on friendship and belonging—tissue-level wholesome, but definitely not for the Bluey crowd seeking laughs.

IMDb7.8
RT Critics75%
MC75
Common Sense Media
Where to Watch
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Screenwise Verdict

This is the platonic ideal of wholesome—an Oscar-winning love letter to kindness, vulnerability, and emotional honesty. It's stunningly animated, deeply moving, and teaches the kind of emotional intelligence that'll serve kids for life.

That said, it's not entertainment in the traditional sense. There's no plot twist, no villain, no jokes. It's a 35-minute feelings journey, and if your kid is wired for action or comedy, they'll tap out fast. But for families who value emotional literacy and can sit with slowness? This is a gem.

Perfect for quiet Sunday mornings, bedtime wind-downs, or moments when your kid (or you) needs a reset. Just don't expect Encanto energy—this is more like a guided meditation with a fox.

Age Fit

Best for ages 5–10, especially kids who are reflective, sensitive, or working through big feelings about friendship or belonging. Older kids might find it too slow or young, unless they're into artsy, meditative stuff.

WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
95

Based on Charlie Mackesy's beloved illustrated book, this animated short centers entirely on themes of kindness, friendship, vulnerability, and emotional support. The four characters model gentle cooperation and emotional honesty throughout their journey. The pacing is deliberately calm and contemplative—perfect for processing feelings rather than overstimulating. Common Sense Media rates it for age 5+, and the entire tone is nurturing and emotionally healthy.

Imaginative
78

The watercolor-style animation is visually distinctive and evocative, bringing Mackesy's hand-drawn aesthetic to life beautifully. The narrative structure—a journey through landscapes both literal and metaphorical—invites reflection rather than prescriptive storytelling. However, it's more contemplative than actively creative; it doesn't prompt building or hands-on exploration. The imaginative quality lies in its poetic, open-ended wisdom rather than world-building or problem-solving.

Safe
98

This is about as safe as media gets. No violence, no scares, no sudden deaths, no inappropriate content whatsoever. The entire 35-minute short is a gentle meditation on friendship and belonging. Apple TV+ is a closed platform with no user-generated content concerns. The only reason it's not 100 is that very young or sensitive kids might feel brief emotional weight around the boy's loneliness early on, but it's handled with extraordinary care.

Enriching
88

This is pure emotional enrichment—teaching empathy, self-compassion, vulnerability, and the value of asking for help. The dialogue is full of memorable, therapeutic wisdom ('The greatest illusion is that life should be perfect,' 'Asking for help isn't giving up'). It won the 2023 Oscar for Best Animated Short and a BAFTA, signaling strong artistic merit. It's deeply meaningful for processing feelings. The entertainment factor is moderate—it's meditative rather than exciting—but for the right audience, it's genuinely moving.

Parent Info
✓

Why It Might Be Great

  • Teaches emotional vocabulary and self-compassion in the gentlest possible way—like a 35-minute therapy session disguised as a bedtime story
  • Gorgeous hand-drawn animation that feels like watching a living sketchbook, narrated by a dream cast (Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, Gabriel Byrne)
  • Short enough to watch before bed without derailing the whole routine, and genuinely rewatchable when kids need emotional grounding
  • Won the 2023 Oscar for Best Animated Short—this isn't just nice, it's legitimately artful
  • The dialogue is quotable wisdom that'll stick with kids (and parents) long after: 'Being kind to yourself is one of the greatest kindnesses'
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What to Watch For

  • This is slow, quiet, and contemplative—if your kid needs action or comedy, they'll be bored in three minutes
  • The boy's initial loneliness and search for home might feel heavy for very sensitive little ones, though it resolves beautifully
  • Some families find the aphoristic dialogue a bit precious or Hallmark-y; if you're allergic to earnestness, you might roll your eyes
  • It's 35 minutes of feelings—great for emotional check-ins, less great for Friday night pizza energy

Conversation Starters

  • "Which character do you think you're most like? (Spoiler: most kids will say the mole because cake)"
  • "What does 'home' mean to you? Is it a place, or is it people?"
  • "The mole says 'Asking for help isn't giving up.' When's a time you asked someone for help?"
  • "If you could ask the horse one question about life, what would it be?"
  • "What's the kindest thing someone's said to you when you felt sad or alone?"

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