Nimona(2023)
dir. Nick Bruno & Troy Quane
A shapeshifter makes fear look silly.
Where to watch: Subscription: Netflix ($8.99/mo with ads; $19.99/mo standard); no rent/buy or free option listed (JustWatch US, checked 2026-11-06). Verify.Letterboxd ↗
In a kingdom of knights and tech, a shapeshifting teen named Nimona offers herself as sidekick to a disgraced knight, Ballister Boldheart, framed for killing the queen. Together they go after the Institution that runs everything and learns what Nimona really is. An animated adaptation of ND Stevenson's graphic novel, with a different ending and a clear message about who gets called a monster.
Why it’s here
It's a family film about who gets called a monster and why. What's punk is a shapeshifter who refuses to be tamed and a hero who has to choose her over the rules. What's pedagogical is how clearly it shows fear as an engine of control. Pairs with the catalog's Nimona (suggested today), Frankenstein in Baghdad (suggested 10-16) and The Giver. Note: PG, with fantasy violence and a hard moment about a child being feared; the film departs from the book's ending.
Where This Film Lives
Read Alongside
Books that share a topic, theme, or setting with this film.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Anne Lamott
Write the terrible first draft. One bird at a time.
✦ READ – REFLECT → RESIST
Hello, Universe
Erin Entrada Kelly
Four kids, one bad day, one rescue.
✦ READ – REFLECT → RESIST
Hey Wall: A Story of Art and Community
Susan Verde
One boy, one wall, a neighborhood mural.
✦ READ – REFLECT → RESIST
Nimona
ND Stevenson
The villain's sidekick can become anything.
✦ READ – REFLECT → RESIST
Akata Witch
Nnedi Okorafor
A girl who doesn't fit finds a hidden world.
✦ READ – REFLECT → RESIST
Amina's Voice
Hena Khan
A shy girl sings out after her mosque is attacked.
✦ READ – REFLECT → RESIST
Fish in a Tree
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
She can't read. She's hiding it. A teacher notices.
✦ READ – REFLECT → RESIST
Ghost
Jason Reynolds
A kid who runs from the past joins a track team.
✦ READ – REFLECT → RESIST