Flow
A wordless, Oscar-winning animated adventure from Latvia in which a cat and a small crew of animals — capybara, lemur, dog — survive a rising flood together on an abandoned boat. There is no dialogue, no human characters, no language concerns, and no scary content beyond the animals' ongoing peril, but that peril is sustained throughout and has moved even older children to tears.
Most comfortable for ages 7 and up; sensitive viewers and children under 6 will likely find the sustained flood peril too distressing.
If you’d rather skip
A pack of dogs chases the cat, a deer stampede runs it over, and a massive wall of floodwater sweeps through the forest — the cat is nearly drowned; sets the film's tense survival tone immediately.
The flooded forest is dark and atmospheric, with owls hooting and large, fierce-looking dogs; younger children may find the environment threatening even before the bigger set pieces.
The animals repeatedly face rising water, a large mysterious underwater creature, and moments of near-drowning; tension rarely fully releases between these sequences.