Netflix's Hilda: Delightfully Unhinged

Good children’s entertainment becomes harder to find every day. Despite a growing backlog from services like Nickelodeon and Disney, the search for entertaining and educational children’s content still often finds dead ends. Even shows that pass content restrictions and manage to engage their target audience (preferably without rotting their brains) are often felled by one simple question: Are they fun for parents too? No matter how entertaining Paw Patrol may be for children, it fails to engage many adults. Enter Hilda on Netflix.

The Premise

Hilda is a beautifully animated cartoon about a girl (the titular Hilda) who grew up in the wilderness surrounded by magical creatures. The show follows her as she moves into the city of Trollberg with her mother and braves the struggles of integrating into urban life while chasing down leads on supernatural activity around town. Along the way, she meets the timid David and rigid Freda, who both accompany her for most episodes of the show. It is based on a graphic novel of the same name by British illustrator, writer, and cartoonist Luke Pearson.

At the time of this publication, there are 2 seasons of Hilda. Each season has 13 episodes of 24-32 minutes, with the exception of the 44 minute Season 2 finale. The extra-long finale serves to introduce the series’ feature film entry, “Hilda and the Mountain King.” Season 3 has been announced, but no official information has been revealed regarding its release. Season 3 is expected to be the final entry in Hilda’s story. All Hilda content is available exclusively on Netflix.

The Quality

Off the bat, Hilda is packed with talent. Every sequence in the show is flawlessly animated, and the soundtrack elevates scenes of tension and emotion to new heights. (The opening theme is actually by Grimes!) The world is full of quirky characters, and while there are moments of conflict and fear, everything remains kid-friendly and upbeat. Each fantastical element introduced leaves the audience wondering if they were adapted from folklore or brilliantly conceived just for the show. What makes the show truly special, though, is the writing.

The Plot

Not a single episode of Hilda has a predictable plot, to the point where some of its twists and turns were not only unexpected but actually mind-blowing (to the furthest degree that a 20-minute kid’s show can afford to be). Unlike many other kid’s shows like The Batman (the 2004 animated series, not the one where Robert Pattinson failed Spanish class), it lacks an episodic formula. Hilda and her friends encounter new creatures in a variety of different places, and never resolve the problem in the most obvious way. While one could argue that every episode having a twist limits the impact of the twists, Hilda is a smart show.

It uses primarily episodic plots while following through with the development of characters and their relationships for the entire series, a format most closely seen in procedural crime shows. If one episode falls a little flat (though truly none of them do) it will always set up the next few in a way that makes it worth a watch. This also allows for the show to be accessible for a changing audience (like a rotating cast of kid(s) and parent(s)) but also be rewarding for those that follow through with the whole Hilda experience.

[Author’s Note: the first two episodes of Season 1 together act as a short film of sorts to introduce the series, and can be watched as a complete piece on their own. Aside from those two episodes, Season 2 Episode 11 is my personal favorite.]

The Characters

Hilda is jam-packed with charming and well-rounded characters, monsters and men alike. The titular fearless blue-haired girl is ever-present, and her best friends tend to be close behind, but even the enigmatic Wood Man and the obsessive Alfur are given more than enough to work with. As with any well-written cast, the dynamics of the characters blend flawlessly into the plot events to make the show feel cohesive and natural. Additionally, nearly every person and beast introduced in Season 1 has another appearance or callback in Season 2. This combined with the impeccable visual style creates the impression of a consistent world for the story to take place in. Any person that Hilda bumps into is given some level of depth, which makes everything feel unexpected in a very realistic way.

The Message

Not one episode of Hilda ends with her killing the bad guy. While perhaps a spoiler for a lesser show, the themes of the show are those of curiosity, wonder, and a desire to understand. Rather than leveling up weapons or changing strategy to overpower the enemy, Hilda (the show, and usually the character as well) approaches conflict with reason and empathy. Somehow, despite this healthier approach, the show is still packed with action, and still consistently entertains. Hilda also finds a unique approach for the skeleton key of children’s show conflict resolution: the power of friendship. It is never used as a vague boost to the cast’s combat ability, and is sometimes not present at all. The cast of Hilda is rich and full of conflict, large and small. They often step on each other’s toes during moments of tension and resolve the problem not simply because they are friends but rather by just communicating with each other and being realistic about their situation.

The Verdict

Number ratings are often fruitless for modern entertainment due to the wide range of preferences amongst modern audiences. That being said, Hilda deserves the highest score available to it on whatever scale one could choose. It is beautiful, accessible, kid-friendly, and delightfully unhinged. It will instill a sense of wonder in anyone that comes across it… no matter how old they happen to be.