An Animated Feature Is Finding A New Audience On Netflix Almost 10 Years Later
Before Netflix started decimating its production teams, and canceling every show, it was once the land of second opportunities. The streaming platform not only produced great shows, but also offered a place where underappreciated and underseen titles could finally find an audience. In the case of TV shows, some even got a chance to finish their stories. "Breaking Bad" became a global hit thanks to people being able to binge on Netflix, and "Arrested Development" was brought back to life almost a decade after being canceled, as were "Lucifer" and "Manifest."
Sadly, the streamer doesn't seem to be in the business of reviving titles anymore, and Netflix originals often get scant promotion and slip under the radar. And yet, the platform does still provide a platform for underappreciated titles to find a larger audience even years after their initial release. Case in point: the sudden resurgence in popularity of "The Book of Life," nearly a decade after its initial release.
"What is it with Mexicans and death?" a little kid says halfway through "The Book of Life," and therein lies the core of this film and why it is so special. Directed by Jorge R. Gutiérrez and co-written by Gutiérrez and Doug Langdale (his constant collaborator and the creator of "Dave the Barbarian"), the film follows the tragic story of a bullfighter named Manolo (Diego Luna), torn between his family's expectations and his heart's desire, who embarks on an adventure in the afterlife on Día de los Muertos.
Though the film received positive reviews and was nominated for a Golden Globe, it was only a moderate success, and it was eclipsed by the huge success of "Coco" just a couple of years later. But that didn't stop Netflix viewers worldwide from making this gem a hit nine years later.
No retreat, no surreder
According to analytics website FlixPatrol, "The Book of Life" reached the top 10 movies on Netflix chart in 36 different countries on the week of December 28, ranking number 7 worldwide, alongside Christmas movie "The Grinch" and new release "Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire." It's curious that the movie is charting so high in the tail-end of December when the movie is all about Día de los Muertos (traditionally celebrated at the start of November), but that may be down to families looking for animated movies to entertain kids over the festive season.
In a statement to /Film, Gutiérrez said,
"I am beyond thrilled that the love for our little film keeps growing all over the world. 'The Book of Life' was ultimately always about undying hope in the face of endless adversity. The main character literally dies in order to truly live and be loved. I think that's an ageless theme that new generations keep embracing, especially in these chaotic times. On behalf of the entire cast and crew, thank you for all the love and support. Gracias totales!!!"
It was a long road for "The Book of Life" to even get made. At one point when DreamWorks initially optioned the movie, the studio told Gutiérrez that it couldn't take place in Mexico. They also said that it could have no wooden dolls, no bullfighting, and would have to be set "in present-day urban New York, in Washington Heights." The studio envisioned the film as "a hip-hop salsa reggaeton musical" with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Even when Guillermo del Toro got involved as a producer and the film moved to Fox, there were studio issues, like executives being against the main character wearing pink socks — yes, really.
Go write your own stories
What makes "The Book of Life" so special and unique is how intrinsically, unequivocally Mexican it is. With Jorge R. Gutiérrez at the helm, the film has a distinct visual style inspired by traditional Mexican art. Indeed, no movie looks like this. Every second, every frame of the film is infused with knowledge and love for Mexico: in background details, in the themes, in the writing, and in the narrative. Only a Mexican filmmaker could make this movie, and no amount of research or cultural consultants can help a team of mostly white American writers and animators capture the essence of Mexico as well as the real thing.
Like Diego Luna said of his casting as Andor, "You can give the same line to 20 actors, and it's going to sound very different. There's no one that is going to sound the same as other, because you bring what you are, and you play with what you have." "The Book of Life" stands out thanks to its unique style and sensibility through cultural specificity.
That's not to say that "The Book of Life" isn't a universal story; on the contrary, cultural specificity can make movies feel even more universal. The movie's themes about struggling with family expectations, love, sacrifice, and grief translate into every language — as demonstrated by the Netflix charts. Then there's the music, which makes for an incredible blend of genres and countries.
If it is to be, it is up to me
The jukebox soundtrack of "The Book of Life" builds on the winning formula that made the "Shrek" movies into a phenomenon and that built the house of Illumination. The film uses recognizable pop tunes to draw both kids and adults alike, including everything from Radiohead and Elvis to Rod Stewart and Mumford & Sons.
But the key to the music is the combination of "Bugsy Mallone" songwriter Paul Williams with Gustavo Santaolalla, the legendary Argentinian musician behind "The Last of Us" and the producer behind some of the biggest Latin Rock bands in history. Alongside known English songs, the film's soundtrack also features songs by Café Tacvba and Plácido Domingo, plus original songs that result in one of the most eclectic and exciting soundtracks for an animated movie out there.
Part of the success of "The Book of Life" on Netflix is that it builds on one of the best miniseries already on the platform. You see, "The Book of Life" is part of Gutiérrez's own cinematic universe, to which "Maya and the Three" also belongs. The Mesoamerican fantasy epic also features a tragic romance, which Gutiérrez has confirmed to be earlier incarnations of Manolo and María from "The Book of Life," which makes watching the two projects back-to-back a bittersweet and rather effective experience.