The Forge

If you want animation that is not just for kids, The Forge is available in the US on Hulu and fuboTV, and in the UK on Netflix right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 346 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. A harder one to justify skipping than to start. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Hulu.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Forge is worth clearing space for. Visually distinctive and narratively ambitious, The Forge operates well above the genre average. 19 year old Isaiah Wright lives for basketball and video games. A year out of high school, he has no job, no plans, and no idea how to be a man. At odds with his single mother Cynthia, Isaiah is given an ultimatum – to step up or move out. Aspen Kennedy Wilson and Priscilla C. Shirer bring more to it than the format typically demands. It was released in 2024. The animation style is distinctive enough to be immediately recognisable, but it is the writing underneath that keeps viewers coming back for more. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

If you have been sleeping on The Forge because of the format, the format is not the issue here. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Visually distinctive and narratively ambitious in ways that hold up regardless of format. Worth watching in order from the beginning.