The One and Only Ivan (2020)

The film uses the classic device of talking animals to pose a legitimate moral question: how should we treat living beings who depend on us? Ivan is a gorilla who has forgotten the jungle, adapted to a life that was not his by nature. The arrival of Ruby, a recently captured elephant calf, makes him remember who he truly is and what he has lost. The narrative arc is not one of transgression but of rediscovery: returning to what one is by design. The story touches upon the responsibility of the strong toward the weak, the sacrifice of true friendship, and the natural order of things. There is no relativism or deconstruction — there is a recognition that every creature has its own nature and a place where it can fully flourish. Commercial captivity is presented as a problem not because all authority is oppressive, but because it reduces creatures to mere entertainment. The film avoids aggressive activism and trusts in the natural empathy of the viewer. It is a work appropriate for the whole family that invites conversations about the care of creation and responsibility toward the most vulnerable.