So, “Annabelle’s Wish.” You know that feeling when you stumble upon an old, dusty folktale book in a second-hand bookstore in Stockholm, and it weirdly feels relevant? That’s kinda what this film is. It’s a charming little story about Annabelle, a young calf who wants nothing more than to become one of Santa’s reindeers. A simple enough premise, right? But sometimes simple is good. Like, lingonberries with your pannkakor good.

First off, the animation—it won’t have you jumping up and down like a kid on Midsummer, but there’s a homely, nostalgic vibe to it. It’s that type of animation where you can almost hear the pencil scratching, like in the good ol’ days. Reminds me of those mellow Saturday mornings back in the 90s when life was about cereal and cartoons, am I right?

Now, one thing that kind of threw me off was the plot pacing. It’s like when you’re having fika, and someone brings out the cake too early, but wait—grab a second kanelbulle and the tempo feels just right. Maybe it’s just me, but I wished they’d let certain moments breathe a bit more.

Then there’s the theme of wishes and dreams. Ah, who hasn’t dreamt of something more at some point? I remember being a young lad, dreaming of riding a moose through the forests of Dalarna (seriously). This film kinda taps into that childhood naivety and hopefulness.

The voice acting adds a sprinkle of warmth to the whole deal, like a cozy scarf wrapped around you on a chilly Swedish autumn day. Overall, “Annabelle’s Wish” is like that old, familiar tale you didn’t think you needed, but once you hear it, you’re glad you did.