If I had a yawn counter the moment I started this movie, I would've still lost count.

Man, what a boring, slow-paced, ugly movie that was. The animation is ugly as heck; I didn't even want to look at the screen half the time. In all seriousness, the themes such as human trafficking were scary and all, but the overall execution of the story was really poor in my opinion. It's surely a sad movie... at least that's what they desperately want us to feel every second. It's like they had no vision or an end goal for the movie and just wanted the viewers to feel sad right off the bat. All of this could've been avoided if it were a live-action film, but even then, it doesn't seem really fitting. The whole story could've been a YouTube short, and I would've felt more for the characters. Animation aside, even the technical aspect of the movie is really lacking. While some sound effects are okay, and the 'Low Roar' song at the end is perfect, the voice acting seemed like it was recorded on a phone with no care whatsoever. Nothing notable or memorable.

By all means, I am not hating on any characters. I have no idea what they went through; real tragic stuff happens, so every criticism above is for the movie.

I went in blind, I thought this was a silly animated film about the titular character becoming friends with a talking flea or something but I was totally off... this is actually a heartbreaking real life documentary about the cruelty of war, a family being torn apart, human trafficking, refugees, and a lifetime of struggling with PTSD in a somewhat animated format. Those are terrifying themes but it felt like I was thrown into this sad story way too suddenly, this film demands you cry after 10 minutes into the movie and then every ten minutes after that until the very end. Not gonna happen without establishing the characters first or giving us a semblance of happiness before depression hits.

Another problem is the fact that this is animated, like why? It's ugly animation anyway! There's no depth to the faces of the animated characters, how am I supposed to connect with those faces and feel something? The sound and voices are recorded like a live action with echoes in the room and unfiltered sound which is really weird mixed with the animation. The voices don't match with the animated lips either. The inclusion of real life footage is jarring in contrast to the animation as well. A lot of the time I wished I could see the actual person telling this story behind the camera instead of the animation because the voices sound sincere.

Overall a harrowing real life story with great potencial on paper held back by it's own creative choices and visuals. Would be better as a podcast.

Everybody has a story that deserves to be told, and an Afghan refugee’s personal narrative of oppression and the pursuit of a better life is portrayed in “Flee.” Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen animates a discussion between himself and his anonymous friend “Amin,” a man that has had one hell of an existence. Amin recounts his dramatic story through his own words, beginning when he was a young boy in Afghanistan in the 1980s to his incredible journey that made him the man he is today.

The hand-drawn animation is a poetic way to not only tell the man’s story, but to protect his identity. Amin’s life, of which most of it has been spent on the run, is recounted in a series of unbelievable events that are traumatic, heartbreaking, and inspiring. That all of these things happened to one man and he’s still standing is a testament to a human’s will to survive, and I hoped he would eventually get his happy ending (you’ll have to watch the film to see if that happens).

Rasmussen has an empathy towards his subject that’s crucial to making this thoughtful documentary work. Amin feels comfortable opening up to him, and reliving so many painful memories about the horrors he and his family experienced during his lifetime gives the film a very somber tone. From his parents resorting to human trafficking so their kids could have the opportunity to get an education to the sadness of leaving his homeland for Russia during a time of unrest in Kabul, this refugee story spans more than a decade and examines the long-term psychological effects of a lifetime spent running away from oppression and towards freedom.

“Flee” is a personal history brought to life, and Amin eventually reveals a secret that he’s never told another soul. It’s a cathartic exercise of a man confronting his painful past so he can move ahead to a brighter future, and his quest to find a place he can finally call home.

I loved **EVERYTHING** about this film. Jonas Rasmussen apparently is best friends with Amin, who just happens to be a Afghani who had to escape during Afghanistan's civil war because his father was one of the "_desaparecidos_" (to borrow the Chilean term of those silently murdered during Pinochet's rule).

Sounds ordinary? But oh no it isn't.

Now in his mid-30s, living in Denmark, gay, and having a boyfriend who wants to get married, Amin realizes that to have any quality of life, he must confront his past, and the horrible secret he's kept for most of his life. This film is the result.

As if that weren't different enough, Rasmussen animates most of the film in order to protect the actors from the Taliban. Why? Because this is a documentary and a true story.