Leela Strathern

My brother and I were aimlessly scrolling through Netflix, hoping to find an hour’s worth of cheap entertainment. We clicked on ‘the emoji movie’, not thinking much of it. Little did we know, we were about to witness 90 minutes of cinematic genius. The emoji movie follows Gene, a seductive yellow ‘meh’ emoji. Gene’s struggles to conform to the shackles of textopolis society are portrayed brilliantly, as both my brother and I teared up on several occasions, each of us seeing ourselves in the complex prism that is Gene. We watch his attractive slender legs take a journey through the universe of Alex’s phone, accompanied by the comedy genius that is ‘high-five’. I found myself in hysterics several times following high-five’s hilarious jokes, particularly struck by the subtle yet brilliant “bye, Felicia”. Not only is it hilarious and emotionally profound ( as I have mentioned the complexities of Gene’s character) but political themes are woven cleverly into the story’s narrative. Jailbreak’s struggles with sexism are particularly hard-hitting, as, through our current understanding, sexism is particularly rampant in the emoji community. Moreover, female emojis are the number 1 receiver of sexism. Heartbreaking, yet the film managed to portray this struggle in a way that was coloured with a tinge of hope. Moreover, Gene’s struggles with self-identity intertwines beautifully with the politics, and when the emotional intensity is overwhelming, hi-five is there as the perfect relief. As well as the plot and themes, the concept itself is- simply genius. It occurred to me, that I never really thought about what the emojis in my phone were doing, what they were thinking, and the adventures they were undergoing. This concept is a clear rival to the likes of toy story, inside out, and Wreck-It Ralph, beating them in every category. Moreover, the animation was pure art. Moving, living, breathing art. I'm sure if Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, or Frida Kahlo were alive today, they would have simply given up, knowing that they could never accomplish something so brilliant. Each scene, each colour, and every detail is coordinated perfectly. Spirited Away and Spiderverse pale in comparison. The beautiful story told through the lens of such stunning artwork brought tears to my eyes, smiles to my lips, and bursts of pure happiness and serotonin to my heart. A scene that was particularly memorable, was when Jailbreak and Gene travel down the ‘song stream’. God, what I would give to experience the serotonin that gave me for the first time again. I would give up all my children and grandchildren in a heartbeat. There are some incredible plot twists in the film that no one ever saw coming and thus, I implore you, with every fibre of my being, to watch this film and find out for yourself. It will change your life.