Fantastic Planet (1973)

Fantastic Planet (aka The Savage Planet) — set on the alien world of Ygam — is a surreal, adult animated sci‑fi fable about power, domination and rebellion. On Ygam the enormous, blue, meditative Draags treat tiny humanoids called Oms (a play on the French for “man”) as pets or vermin: some Oms live in captivity while wild Oms are hunted and periodically exterminated. The story follows Terr, a captive Om who escapes with a Draag device that implants knowledge directly into the brain. Using that technology, Terr finds refuge among the wild Oms, spreads learning, and sparks an uprising that upends the planet’s social order and forces both species to confront the price of survival. Watching the film you’ll encounter dreamlike, often disquieting imagery and a deliberate, hypnotic pace: strange, hand‑drawn visuals and surreal landscapes create a haunting, otherworldly atmosphere. The narrative blends quiet, philosophical passages about consciousness, culture and cruelty with moments of visceral violence and large‑scale conflict. The result is both a political allegory — often read as commentary on occupation and dehumanization — and a poetic meditation on knowledge, freedom, and whether two very different societies can learn to coexist. Expect an unsettling, thought‑provoking experience rather than a conventional action picture: evocative art and sound design, slow‑burn storytelling, and moral ambiguity that stays with you after the credits. Content warning: scenes of extermination and graphic violence, and mature thematic material.

Actors: Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Drake, Eric Baugin

Director: René Laloux

Runtime: 72 min

Genres: Animation, Sci-Fi

73 /100 7.7 /10 7.5 /10