Review: The Star Mill
The Star Mill is a black-and-white animation that follows a boy and his pet owlbear operating a windmill that powers the stars.
I was intrigued by the premise and wanted to feel engrossed in the lore, but director Daniel Blake never fully explains the machinations of his world. There is joy and wonder to the animation, but the world of the Star Mill never unravels itself. Why is the boy running a mill? Why does the mill power the stars? Why is his pet dog half owl and half bear?
Even though the story keeps viewers at arms-length, the animation is magical and really wows.
Overall, I’d say this one is worth checking out.
More info & links:
- Director: Daniel Blake
- The Star Mill website
- The Star Mill on Twitter
- The Star Mill on Instagram
- The Star Mill screened at the OCan Film Festival in Ottawa in 2022.
Alvin Tsang
Film Reviewer
In his youth Alvin loved watching movies and would find himself spending his lunch money and allowance at the box office. He loved the Matrix and the X-Men films, and somewhere along the way, he discovered a love for horror movies — Hereditary, Midsommar and Mother! being his favourites. He now holds a professional writing diploma, a couple of journalism degrees, and likes to spend his free time reviewing movies on IMDB and for various magazines. @alvinwct