In the enchanted blink of just two minutes, ‘Ongo’ invites you into a land where mushrooms walk and wonder has consequences. Anna Reyes Ramirez (writer/director), backed by her deft team of animators, delivers a charmingly oddball slice of fantasy – light on its feet, rich in atmosphere, and with no dialogue.
Three mushrooms – small, medium, and large – trudge through a dreamlike forest, their shapes bouncing to a crisp, kinetic beat. The day turns to night, and back again. They’re lost, but not aimless. There’s purpose in their plodding, mystery in the trees. And when the littlest one’s curiosity lead’s to a frantic search when it goes missing.
The animation is a beautiful hybrid of crisp 3D form and painterly 2D flourish – polished, textured, and alive with eccentric detail. There’s a softness to the palette, a musical pulse that carries the story like a breeze through tall grass. No dialogue, no exposition – just rhythm, movement, and feeling.
Despite its short runtime, ‘Ongo’ has personality in spades. The characterisation is pitch-perfect: each mushroom moves with its own rhythm, its own tiny soul. It’s a whimsical fantasy with just a dash of melancholy.
Ramirez balances tone with the precision. ‘Ongo’ is playful, poignant, and self-contained – an adventure story in miniature. It’s the kind of film that leaves behind only footprints and a beat still echoing. Highly recommended.
