film

Whether or not you feel Wes Anderson's films made with human actors have become cloying and annoying in recent times (cough cough), his 2018 stop-motion animation Isle of Dogs is almost guaranteed to delight you. Made in a similar, utterly meticulous and detailed way as 2009's Fantastic Mr Fox, Isle of Dogs is set in a dystopian Japan of the near future in which all dogs have been banished to the aptly named Trash Island in reaction to a "dog flu" crisis manufactured by the corrupt Mayor Kobayashi.

Twelve-year-old Atari Kobayashi - nephew of the mayor - embarks on a quest to find his beloved dog, Spots, after this cruel decree is enacted, and along the way befriends a pack of exiled canines - Rex, King, Duke, Boss and Chief - who help him uncover his uncle's dastardly plot. A glorious blend adventure, satire and heartfelt storytelling, and a visual feast too.