Lost Ollie (2022– ) User Reviews

This hits too close to home. I'm a wreck.

[hazard111 · 9/10 · 24 August 2022]

I never read the book and just saw the trailer and thought that it might be something similar to Toy Story franchise. And yeah there's some of it that actually reminds you of Toy Story and a bit of Homeward Bound but Lost Ollie is its own thing. And boy did it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I feel if you have a similar experience this show will punch the gut more. I have an Ollie of my own though I never physically lost it but I went through what Billy experienced... the last episode just made me wish I could have the same moment... I was just bawling my heart out by the end of this show.

Anyway this has some dark moments to it. Not at all light hearted and easy fun if that is what you're looking for. Now I was already predicting what could happen, it's not like there's much to do to make some mind boggling twist which for this type of show I don't think is really necessary. It's predictable but it delivered what it needed.

It's the typical slow-paced show so this might feel boring to some. It cruises you to the stages per episode as you unravel the backstory bit by bit. I quite liked the stories of the other main characters featured here as well. They had some depth to them. Not giving a 10 because there's some glaring awkward scenes and acting that didn't deliver well. Some moments were still too dim even though they gave some lighting to soften it up.

The star of this show is the CG animation. The details and animation on Ollie and the rest is just superb. They're expressive but still bound by how much toys can scrunch their faces and how they move so they feel like actual talking walking toys and not a drawing popped in the scene.

Also Gina Rodriguez. Her scenes really packed a punch.

A charming miniseries with a bittersweet smile

[samxxxul · 7/10 · 24 August 2022]

Behind the landscapes of "Lost Ollie" lies a serious background with various emotions centered around loss, home, betrayal and friendship. The four-part Netflix miniseries at first glance may seem simple but it is done pretty well with depth and you can judge by the prism of WS Merwin's opening quote "Your absence has gone through me Like thread through a needle. Everything I do is stitched with its color." The main plot line revolves around Ollie (bringer of peace) who with the help of Zozo, Rosy and a Map reconstructs his memory and prowls the streets in search of his best friend Billy. The film goes on a quest intertwined with the flashbacks, tragic events, without making them adults only or overtly comical keeping in mind the TV-PG 7+ rating. The first two episodes strongly leans towards relationships and the character introductions and apart from obvious theme of loss, this is first and foremost a story about the process of grief and overcoming it.

My favorite is the 3rd and 4th episode, i Loved the Bali Hai introduction as Zozo dances with Nina against the background of a fair, with inanimate toys as it begins to rain - accompanied by an amazing score, it will definitely put a sincere smile of joy as the sequence is filmed so beautifully. Right after this the tone of the series changes as it moves into a bleak territory, it reveals how the difficult fates of Zozo, Ollie, Rosy are closely connected with each other. On the other hand, Zozo really wants to settle a pending account with the past and it really gets interesting with the connections that are revealed. By the way, bleak doesn't mean it plunges into despondency and depression. It makes no sense to tell further, because there is a mix of emotions and timeline in the good sense of the word.

As for the cons, there aren't many except for a little acting, staging problems in few scenes. Also, it seemed the soundtrack could have been better catering to all ages, but this is a purely subjective opinion.

In closing, this is another pleasant surprise from Netflix after The House (2022), Bogdan Boner: Egzorcysta (2020), Kotaru Lives Alone (2022) and The Summit of the Gods (2021). I know many will draw comparison to The Velveteen Rabbit, Sweet Tooth, Toy Story and Where the Wild Things Are. But trust me, in the balance between loss, tragedy and love of life lies the simplicity of Lost Ollie. For young viewers, this mini-series is full of adventures, enveloped with mystery, friendship that will be fascinating. Adults will draw parallels to the incidents that we have encountered in life as it explores the very structure of the human emotions. This will be a good watch with family, friends or if you have little couch time for yourself, it will be worth the time.

This Series Will Hit You In The Feels

[jeremycrimsonfox · 9/10 · 25 August 2022]

Lost Ollie is a new mini-series, and already, it made me emotional. A lost stuffed animal named Ollie (voiced by Johnathan Groff) finds himself in a thrift store, and cannot remember where his owner, a boy named Billy, is. However, meeting a clown doll named Zozo (voiced by Tim Blake Nelson) and a tough teddy bear named Rosie (voiced by Mary J. Blige), Ollie escapes the thrift store and goes on to search for his boy.

Based on a chidren's book from 2016, this mini series will hit you right in the feels and never release it. The series switches between the past and present to tell the story, which is full of emotional moments and exciting action, as the voice actors help to bring this heart-warming story to life.

I don't usually write these.

[jenniferclarkemail · 10/10 · 24 August 2022]

I usually just dole out stars and look around at reviews, but this is on another level. Superb skill from all the actors. Rich music & color. Writing that tugs on your soul. The immersive live action animation is literally seamless. They should all be immensely proud of this. Get a box of tissues ready you'll probably need it. Just breathtaking. To the top of the lightest light down to the pit of darkness. It's a rollercoaster of high quality showmanship put in a neat little package to be enjoyed through the ages.

Soon to be a modern classic, a emotional journey that puts you through the ringer with a wonderful payoff

[IonicBreezeMachine · 10/10 · 25 August 2022]

Ollie (Jonathan Groff) is a stuffed patchwork rabbit who after having been lost by his owner, a young boy named Billy (Kesler Talbot), winds up in a thrift store. At the store Ollie meets a old clown toy Zozo (Tim Blake Nelson) who has largely given up hope after having suffered his own loss with Nina, but with Ollie's arrival Zozo helps Ollie make a map made from Ollie's memories and the two set off along with Zozo's friend Rosy (Mary J. Blige), a pink teddy bear cobbled together from bits and pieces who's skilled in combat. As the trio set off home, Ollie recovers more of his memories revealing a tragedy involving Billy's mother (Gina Rodriguez) while facing various perils along the way.

Lost Ollie is an adaptation of the 2016 children's book Ollie's Odyssey by William Joyce, who many of you may known from his work on projects such as Toy Story, Robots, and Meet the Robinsons just to name a few. The miniseries sees author Joyce reunite with animation director Peter Ramsey who'd previously adapted Joyce's Guardians of Childhood series with the 2012 Dreamwroks film Rise of the Guardians and has since found subsequent success as the director of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Combining CG animation, puppetry, and live-action, Lost Ollie takes us through a harrowing and emotionally draining journey that is worth every moment.

In terms of content, Lost Ollie is basically what happens when you mix bits of Christopher Robin, Toy Story, and A Monster Calls as despite this plot having served as the basis for things ranging from the heights of the Toy Story franchise to more obscure works like Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, the series makes no secret of its darker harrowing tone from the opening where we see Ollie with a torn seam in a puddle on a rainy night. Make no mistake despite this movie having a similar plot to Toy Story it is by no means a "park your kids in front of the TV" type show but it can be watched as a family show assuming your kids are up for it. The show tackles issues of grief, bitterness, abandonment, and even death and these themes are explored with some truly haunting imagery that sticks with you long after "The End" credits roll. Aesthetically speaking this is a more earthen toned series in comparison to something like Toy Story as the story takes us through abandoned amusements parks, trash strewn vacant lots, or other areas that are rife with loss or neglect fitting tonally within where the story takes us.

The cast are all very good as Jonathan Groff plays our lead and is very endearing with his innocent personality coupled with a sense of driven loyalty to Billy that propels him forward on this journey, and Mary J. Blige and Tim Blake Nelson are both very good as Rosy and Zozo, Ollie's traveling companions and despite the two characters making a radical departure by the halfway point the writing is strong enough to justify it and it does tie in thematically with the film's ending message, even if I'm not personally a fan of how those two characters are resolved by the third act but I do acknowledge it works from a thematic point of view. Jake Johnson and Gina Rodriguez are both very good as Billy's Momma and Daddy (as they're credited since Ollie doesn't their last name) and the two have genuine chemistry in their scenes together and the heartbreak felt at key moments in the plot will ring strong especially if you've lost a family member in an untimely way. Kesler Talbot is also very good as Billy and to my knowledge this is Talbot's first starring role in a series having previously done some TV work such as Nancy Drew and Resident Alien and I was honestly really impressed with his performance.

The mixture of animation and live-action is nicely done and director Peter Ramsey and credited creator Shannon Tindle deserve a lot of praise for creating an immersive mixture of live-action and CG. To my knowledge this is Ramsey's first time doing live-action with his previous work having been in animated features and if Lost Ollie is any indication I can't wait to see what he brings to a larger scale project like Ahsoka. The movie is simply beautiful to look at with a world that feels living and tangible and also taps into the forgotten areas of the United States whose heyday has long passed and have been left to pot.

Lost Ollie takes a familiar story and makes it new again with an unapologetically harrowing tone and no holds barred approach to talking about issues frankly and without sugarcoating. The characters are all unique and interesting, the animation is beautiful, and the performances are great from all. In short: Stop reading this and go watch it!

Woah ! What where huhh? Out of nowhere

[xx-spidercoupe-xx · 10/10 · 25 August 2022]

Amazing !! Ok like finally something to justify Netflix price hikes. Also ummm how is this not a huge Franchise right now?? Well maybe it will be, idk.....limited series (thats my only complaint) This reminds me of the first time i saw the original toy story but way better. Guys if you want to show your lady you have emotions this one will pull them tears out of ya.

This is NOT the book

[dizzyowl · 8/10 · 26 August 2022]

The show is wonderful on its own. I will say that. But it was based on an absolutely beautiful book called Ollie's Odyssey by William Joyce and they fundamentally changed the entire story for the show. They kept bits and pieces but the framework is very different. I read the book out loud to my son a few years ago and we read it again leading up to the release of the show, excited to see our favorite scenes come alive. They weren't there, none of them. We still enjoyed the show but it's not what we were expecting and we're hoping one day they do it again following the book more exactly. The synopsis listed here on the site is what the storyline of the book is, not the show.

A+ on plushies

[Naive-fox · 6/10 · 25 August 2022]

There's more than meets the eye with 'Lost Ollie'. What is at its core an adventure show about family and coming of age holds an unexpected amount of darkness, grief and sorrow. Much in the footsteps of 'Toy Story', the show presents a much shorter but nonetheless equally charismatic ensemble of toys to embark on a classic adventure on the search of Ollie's former owner. The leading trio is surprisingly well designed, written, animated, and, even more impresive, blended on a live action setting. And as goofy as it is to watch three kids' toys traversing a human world without anyone paying attention, we all can agree that if we can -and joyfully do so- cope with dragons breathing fire on ice zombies or grimmy creatures threatening teenagers from an upside-down world, we can condone a small cinematographic sleight of hand that is essential to the show's plot. What matters is that 'Lost Ollie' manages to tell a heartbreaking story for each of the toys, with Zozo's backstory in the third episode probably stealing the show. With its dark twists and turns rushed at times due to the show's limited runtime, 'Lost Ollie' still finds the time to make the whole leading trio shine.

Unfortunately, Ollie's quest means there's a kid, a home, and a human world to return to. A human world filled with plastic characters, fake dialog and overly trite drama. And as much as the actors give their best to make the most out of a poorly written script, they can stop the human segments of the film from dragging the whole experience down and feel even more fictional than a dual wielding pink plushie bear jumping from a train. There's more personality and charisma to be found on any of the three toys than on the whole cast of human characters, and while that may seem a good sign in a production where the sooner are the stars of the show there's so big a gap it feels like an open chasm between the two worlds, turning an old-time, deep adventure story with a satisfaying bittersweet end into a disjointed puzzle of good ideas and exhausting, overused drama with a weak and repetitive soundtrack that doesn't help its case.

Thoughtful, Sweet, Sometimes Disturbing Serues

[pbstarman · 10/10 · 26 August 2022]

A very well made series. Beautifully animated. Excellent writing and story. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series. It is sometimes hard to watch and left me in tears at the end.

Very dark, sentimental & adventurous. Seems predictable but it wasnt. Twist after twist. Amazing songs.

[sisubalan · 7/10 · 23 October 2022]

Unlike toy's story, this set in a moody depressing and colder tone which was ideal for the plot and the series. Great voice casts on ollie, zozo and rosy. Very thick country accent, loving it. Button from the first episode is a very good boy but it cant act lol. Great graphics and sound scores. Amazing list of classic songs. Some great casts. Packed with thrilling moments, adventurous and definitely emotional. Great watch for family movie night. Few confusing moments like how the adults cant seem to observe the ollie's movements but the kids can? It doesnt make sense but other than that loving this series. First i thought i would know the plot as it was seemed to be very predictable but i was wrong, didnt expect the twist on the last minute of the episode 2. Reminds me of lotso from the toys story 3. Big fan of eps 3 featuring zozo's own adventure and his backstory with rosy. Very romantic, sad, sympathetic and then turns very dark and scary. Violent but in a toys perspective. Eps 4 was the weakest for me but the last confrontation scene was very very dark - didnt expect any of it. And twist right after that fascinating. Highly recommended.

Beautiful!

[carissaharris · 10/10 · 3 September 2022]

This is just one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. It has so much heart and virtue. A depiction of how love can make a soul beautiful or ugly. The deep or dark aspects of the story went over my kids heads, but they loved the series over all and fell in love with Ollie, and so did I.

It's rare to find a show my husband and I can not only watch with our young kids, but one that we actualy enjoy watching as well and we find so engaging. We wanted to watch each episode as much as the kids did.

It was pure and real, and I can't believe it's not number 1 on Netflix right now. It really should be.

Far too dark and brutal for kids, and adults too.

[Rob-O-Cop · 5/10 · 14 September 2022]

The contrast between Japanese and US animation is stark, and depressing.

Films like Totoro and Kiki's Delivery can and do have no antagonist. They can make an engaging, entertaining and enlightening movie with out having psychopathic characters dragging the film to the darkness, and draining the audience of it's will to live.

My daughter was upset by the images she saw in this film and wishes she had not watched it. That's a pretty damning review, as this show was recommended for ages 7 and above.

Lost Ollie was a beautifully rendered and realised film but instead of Ollie working to reunite with his boy we get a psychopathic and broken doll with his aggressive side kick, justifying their brutality, in a film that many kids will watch, and to adults too. And this is the stumbling block that western cinema can't seem to rid itself of. We watch a toy violently disemboweling another, and then later laying into the main character, because he "lost a girl doll some time ago"?, that's his motivation and why we're sitting through his melt down for 2 and a bit episodes, and finally watch him murdered in self defense. Because the film makers can't think of an entertaining story that doesn't involve brutality and violence.

Add to that that these were 'creative' choices by the film maker as this was 'adapted' from a book, and varies wildly from the book's content, which is dark in a different way, but the filmmakers didn't choose to address that, instead they rendered in the brutality.

So are we to believe that in our modern society there wasn't a strong enough uplifting story of the toy helping his owner deal with the loss of his mother, and all the other magic in there they they felt they had to overshadow it with a psychopath angle, because we don't have enough of them already?

My daughter wanted to turn this off a few times because it just wasn't enjoyable, it was unfun, even though it looked beautiful and had many elements kids could and should relate to to over arching darkness and brutality of the story and events made it unpleasant. Is that what filmmakers thing we're wanting from our 'entertainment' these days?

I, the adult felt less than uplifted by it too. We can do better, Japan regularly does better. Your Name, Weather With You, Totoro, Kiki etc etc, all have strong stories and zero violence, and even the ones with violence have something positive to take away. Please do better.

I'm Speechless

[jasneethothi · 10/10 · 28 August 2022]

This one made me smile, sad, happy, cry. I don't write reviews but I had to write for this one. If you still have an inner child, you would love this one. It is the story of a toy bunny who gets apart from his owner and his journey back to the owner and in between there is a story of friendship, love, hope, pain and loss. I never thought that this would be this good and touch my soul in such a way. It deserves a much higher rating and popularity than it actually has. But perhaps there aren't many people who are so soft and kind to understand the actual depth of the story. Anyways if you still have the feelings of a child and cherish your childhood this will take you on an emotional journey.

Almost cruel in the way it repeatedly hits in the feels

[Avwillfan89 · 8/10 · 20 October 2022]

I was expecting this to be overtly saccharine, but it really wasn't. This is essentially the dark, grown up version of Toy Story - still containing a childlike innocence, but with a much darker and mature take on "the lost toy" tale.

I will admit that the first two episodes, until the end of episode two, starts off extremely slow and can come off as a bit boring. However it is totally worth it for the final two episodes as it builds up nicely, with a heartbreaking and heartwarming conclusion that absolutely tore me apart.

There were a few twists here and there that I was not expecting, which I really admired for their boldness. The whole series really about the light and dark side of grieving. How it can tear some people apart completely and helps other to grow and carry on.

If you've ever lost a loved one, this will definitely hurt, but in a good way.

I am a 42 year old man and I cried my heart watching this

[bcranium79 · 9/10 · 8 September 2022]

Very few movies or shows have touched me emotionally as much as Lost Ollie. It is a dear, sweet, tender, and beautiful show about life, death, pain, happiness, friendship, love, and loss.

Life is cruel, and life isn't always all sunshine and rainbows. This movie shows how cruel the world can be, but it also shows that If we persevere and we keep love and hope in our hearts... we can find happiness with the ones that we love.

I think we would all be better people, and the world in general would be a much happier place if there were more shows like this.

Even though there are a few very dark and disturbing parts, I do feel like everyone should watch this! (As a kid from the 80s; I survived so-called "children's" movies like The Brave Little Toaster and Return to Oz, but kids were different back then). So parents beware!!!

Watch if you're in need of a cathartic cry.

[tracybass37 · 10/10 · 31 August 2022]

I came upon this series unexpectedly, but I'm so glad I did. I ended up watching it very quickly- sure, some moments might drag a bit for some people, but I didn't mind that- and man oh man, this was a punch in the gut! I rarely cry in movies, and I was weeping by the end of this one. If you've been needing a good healthy cry, this might be your answer. Just as Ollie himself was carefully crafted with love, you can tell the creators poured their love into this show. I just wish it was getting more recognition! Yes, it's geared for kids (and I respect that it doesn't shy away from darkness, even knowing its main audience is likely younger), but I think all ages can enjoy it. It even prompted me to dig up my old favorite stuffed bunny rabbit from when I was a kid. Give this little gem a try, you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was <3.

Beautiful, dark and very sad

[rverdonschot · 8/10 · 28 September 2022]

If you are looking for an uplifting watch with the family, this show is not it. What starts of as a pretty standard "x tries to make it's way home" story turns unexpectedly bleak rather quickly. It's beautiful and moving, but very sad and dark. There's some puppet on puppet violence here that would earn any adult movie an R-rating, so watch it together with your (older) kids and stear clear if your children are easily traumatized. The animation blends seamlessly with the live action and the voice work is top notch. Highly recommended if you don't mind finding yourself a sobbing emotional wreck at the end of the last episode.

Unexpected emotions

[torreza-39297 · 9/10 · 29 August 2022]

First off all of is adults loved it and it left us with so many emotions. It truly is such a good show with a great set up and conclusion...now ill explain the rest. So my 6 year old wanted to watch a family movie/show together so we found this one. As the show moved forward we quickly realized maybe this is not so friendly for her age. Everyone is different so definitely use your own discretion but the toys well not all are so cute and lovable...I'll just say that it's a little more violent and dark than I thought it would be. As for us adults, we all loved it and it was totally worth the watch.

Good movie, rough acting

[derp-58409 · 5/10 · 28 August 2022]

I really like this movie/show. Great story, good meaning. The actors do a good job of portraying their characters, but they have a problem with something else. The problem I have is when actors try to do this fake country accent, it makes it really hard to get past. It's not just the accent, but we country people have an entirely different intonation in our phrasing. It's how we give life to our language, and there are many different kinds of country accents, not this atypical one that keeps getting thrown around on TV and films. Just would be nice if they actually studied the speech patterns instead of defaulting to this stereotyped accent that does not actually exist anywhere. I know some country accents are really hard to do, but that shouldn't mean you default to stereotypes.

A category-transcending masterpiece

[alexbabcock · 10/10 · 31 August 2022]

I saw this because I walked into the living room and my 10-year-old was watching it, and I simply couldn't look away. Normally he watches pretty kid-and-tween-friendly material, which is to say it's a bit immature for an adult, but I was just astounded by how well this production packed a mature theme into a story about stuffed animals. It's filmed and directed as a drama for adults who have experienced the extreme highs and lows of yearning and heartbreak, but it's written in a way that even my 10-year-old would both understand and enjoy. To call this series a masterpiece really undersells what's been done here, as it's combined art forms in a way I honestly wasn't prepared to accept as compatible, that of live action and computer animation in such a serious, dramatic story. It's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" but the mystery is about finding a lost friend, and there's no slapstick element or cartoonish villainy.

If this does not stir your soul, either pulling you into a past romance or childhood daydreams and make-believe, I'm not sure anything could. I fully expect to see this receive Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and likely wins. Tim Blake Nelson's portrayal of Zozo, in particular, was so heart-wrenchingly authentic, so brilliantly emoted, it's hard to believe he's voicing effectively a cartoon character. That it may be one of the best voice-acting, if not simply acting, performances I've ever witnessed is icing on a gourmet cake.

Like an evolution of the Toy Story franchise

[loandy-42002 · 8/10 · 3 September 2022]

I've been looking forward to watching this series since I saw the trailer. Although, I actually thought it was a movie until I selected it. It's enjoyable to watch, with stunning CGI characters that look better than many big budget movie CGI characters. You can't fault the realism of the plush toys, and the lighting effects are spot on. You get thoroughly drawn in to this little world of the toys. I'd say it's like Toy Story for adults. It's a good story. Of course it runs along a similar story line to things we've seen before. It has some very dark and creepy moments at times which I personally found a bit uncomfortable to watch. But that's probably just me being a wuss. Kids will love the idea of the walking, talking toys going on an adventure. ( sounds familiar ). Us grown ups understand the more adult theme of the series and the touching story. I found it very emotional at times, but I'm an emotional wreck most of the time anyway.

A Story of Death, Grieving and Faith

[caseypthompson · 10/10 · 30 August 2022]

While this echoes Toy Story in many ways, it also has a dark side...one which represents loss, pain and anger from the hardest of emotions: grief.

Whether it's a parent, a romantic partner, a friend - if you've experienced losing someone, this movie can't help but grab at you. I don't think everyone will enjoy it, but I do think it's worth watching and seeing if it doesn't connect to you in some way. Maybe you feel the pull of your childhood and nostalgia. Maybe you understand what it's like to lose someone near and dear.

Maybe you just need a story of love and hope...

Whatever it might be, there's bound to be something that'll touch a part of you. It certainly did for me.

And I truly believe it'll touch all sorts of ages both young and old.

I don't think they were 'trying' to be like Toy Story, because the emotions in this movie really grapple with pain in a deeper and more serious way.

The only complaint I have is the acting of some characters, but overall, the storyline beat out the sometimes cheesiness.

If you like Homeward Bound and Toy Story, give it a whirl. You might just fall in love.

Really is good

[dadswelljustin · 10/10 · 26 August 2022]

I cried through 90% of it, and yes I am Southern (but not from Louisiana ot olr mis- nc instead).

This reminded me of everything I miss from home. Yeah, really cried through most of this.

But Zozo, TF wrong with you.

*Lol, watched the last part after this post. Tough don't mean you can't cry. True enough.

"Lost Ollie" - The Power of Memory by Maria Elena Gutierrez

[press-31193 · 10/10 · 29 August 2022]

Created and written by Shannon Tindle and directed by Peter Ramsey, the Netflix animated adventure Lost Ollie is based on the children's book Ollie's Odyssey by William Joyce. It tells the story of a toy rabbit called Ollie (Jonathan Groff) who, after finding himself abandoned in a thrift shop, sets out on an epic quest to find Billy (Kesler Talbot), the boy who was once his best friend.

Above all things, Lost Ollie is a story about memory. Rejected and alone, Ollie clings desperately to the pledge he once made with Billy - that they would never forget each other. Despite this Ollie feels desperate, because he fears that this is exactly what has happened - Billy has forgotten him.

When Ollie befriends the toy clown Zozo (Tim Blake Nelson), he realizes that memory itself is the key to finding Billy again. With Zozo's help, he re-creates the 'memory map' on Billy's bedroom wall - a scrapbook of images representing 'places we've been and places we hope to go.' By following this trail of memories, maybe Ollie can find his way home.

However, as Zozo warns Ollie: "Memories are funny - you gotta sneak up on them or they'll just disappear." So begins the quest, with Ollie, Zozo and the feisty pink teddy bear Rosy (Mary J. Blige) puzzling out the clues that will lead them from location to location. Throughout the adventures of these brave lost toys, the narrative relies heavily on flashbacks to remind us that memories are not only 'funny' but also filled with emotions that are often heartwarming, but just as frequently haunting. Lost Ollie also teaches us that memories are unreliable, mercurial and fragile. In this respect, the map is the perfect metaphor - one gust of wind and it could be lost forever.

By using memory as a narrative device, Lost Ollie takes us all the way back to the origins of storytelling. Before humans learned to write, all stories were told by word of mouth. Mnemosyne, mother of the Greek Muses, could be described as the poster-girl for this oral tradition, and it is no coincidence that she was the goddess of memory, too. After all, what finer quality can a camp-fire storyteller possess than perfect recall?

Ollie's memory map - and the places it takes us to - gives Lost Ollie a powerful sense of place. Each new landmark is rich in American iconography, from the majestic riverboat that carries our heroes up the Ohio River, to the shining white towers of the city skyline, to the spooky abandoned fairground called Dreamland. Billy refers to a railroad train as a 'Mark Twain' - a clear reference to the classic novel that informs Lost Ollie's narrative: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. And all these visions of America are centered on the archetypal small town, where lies the home that Ollie so desperately seeks.

The flashback sequences in Lost Ollie tell a heartbreaking story of love and loss. Over the course of the show's four episodes, we gradually learn about the human catastrophe lying at the heart of Billy's family. Here looms the ever-present specter of death, the unspoken darkness that lurks under the skin of most great children's literature. The difficult topic of bullying is tackled here too, mirrored in Billy's difficulties at school and in Zozo's reaction to his own tale of lost love.

One of the great miracles of Lost Ollie is the skill and subtlety demonstrated by the animation and visual effects team at Industrial Light & Magic, who worked with puppeteers from Jim Henson's Creature Shop to bring Ollie and his friends to life. The animation shows impressive restraint - at all times the characters move with toy-like simplicity. Yet at the same time they communicate such a tremendous depth of emotion that we never doubt for a moment that they are real.

Just as beautiful is the world through which they journey. From the gorgeously-lit interior of the thrift shop, to the glorious vistas of the river, to the brooding rain-soaked fairground, Lost Ollie is filled with unforgettable imagery. Best of all, the visuals are always exquisitely matched to the mood. There is nothing gratuitous here - the world of Lost Ollie always looks exactly as it should.

While Lost Ollie is indeed about memory, its story is underpinned by a second theme that has equal or perhaps greater power - diversity. From the beginning, we are aware that Billy has a White father and a Polynesian mother, played by Jake Johnson and Gina Rodriguez. This is no big deal, nor is it presented as one. However, as the story reaches its climax - and especially when we learn that Ollie himself is a diverse creation, sewn together from disparate pieces of fabric - we understand the importance of diversity's rich power within this family, within Zozo's own story, and in the world as a whole.

As Zozo tells Ollie early on, the name Oliver means 'peace-bringer.' How well that name fits. Made as he is from scraps and love, Ollie is the glue that keeps everything together - Billy's family, and the surrogate family of forgotten toys that Ollie assembles when he is lost on the road. Time and again it is Ollie's kind, forgiving heart that saves the day - most frequently when he himself is at his lowest ebb.

All these things combine to make Lost Ollie truly unforgettable. I know that, long after viewing, the memory of this little lost rabbit will linger bright and clear, not just in my imagination but in my soul. To paraphrase the words of the poet W. S. Merwin, who provides the quote seen at the beginning of Lost Ollie: "Ollie's absence has gone through me like thread through a needle ... Everything I do is stitched with his color."

One of the best shows I've seen

[craigunderwood-85600 · 10/10 · 6 September 2022]

I really don't want to repeat what the other high raters below have already said, but this show is magnificent. Watching it on your big screen HD tv at home just makes you feel how lucky we are these days, the animation and cinematography is next level. It's hard to tell where the animation stops and where the real life scenes begin...seamless. My wife loved this one just as much as me, and as others have said, this one deserves a spot in the all time hall of fame. And all when I'd just about given up on Netflix. Thankyou to the makers, thankyou Netflix. A special mention for Zozo the clown, what a character !!!!!