Summary
Kid Koala’s wordless debut is a tender, visually striking tale of connection across distance.
Eric San — better known to the world as Kid Koala — is a DJ and multimedia artist who has toured internationally with some of the best in the business. In 2003, he released the graphic novel Nufonia Must Fall, later adapted for the stage by K.K. Barrett at Toronto’s Luminato Festival. With SPACE CADET, also drawn from one of his graphic novels, San makes his directorial debut in this charming animated adaptation.
This dialogue-free, feature-length animation relies entirely on visual storytelling. From the opening shot — a wide landscape of spotted foreverness — San draws us into his distinctive graphic world where robots and humans coexist. Since childhood, Celeste has been watched over by her faithful robot. When she jets off into space on a mission, the robot is left adrift, unsure what to do with its life.
It’s hard not to compare this to Robot Dreams, Pablo Berger’s award-winning heartbreaker from a few years back. Both films explore a certain ennui: the question of what comes next when a central relationship changes. SPACE CADET is less laser-focused, shifting between Celeste’s alien encounters and the robot’s slow system failure. The structure mostly works, but at times it feels more like a loose collection of moments than a tightly woven narrative.
Still, it’s gorgeous to watch. San’s original black-and-white art is handsomely reimagined with slick, rounded character designs reminiscent of Oliver Jeffers or other contemporary children’s illustrators. These figures sit beautifully against clean yet deceptively detailed backgrounds and Corinne Merrell’s layouts. In lieu of dialogue, San threads the story together with a series of thematic songs, which act as narrative glue.
By the time the twin fates of Celeste and her robot reunite, there’s a sense San is most interested in the anchor points that connect us — the ones we inevitably return to. It’s a film that could speak to parenthood, friendship, or any relationship where you must celebrate growing differences alongside shared bonds. Sweet, slickly produced, and unmistakably personal, SPACE CADET marks a promising first step for Kid Koala as a filmmaker.
2025 | Canada | DIRECTOR: Eric San (aka Kid Koala) | WRITERS: Mylène Chollet (based on Eric San’s graphic novel) | DISTRIBUTOR: Sphere Films International, Melbourne International Film Festival | RUNNING TIME: 86 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 7-24 August 2025 (Melbourne International Film Festival)