Vicky and her Mystery review: A heart-warming film about the unbreakable bond between humans and animals

Nothing is better than a heart-warming film about the human-animal bond, and Netflix's Vicky and her Mystery is all about it.

Directed by Denis Imbert, Vicky and her Mystery revolves around a father-daughter duo who moves to the beautiful Cantal mountains after the death of Victoria's mother. The young girl is seen feeling depressed. All of it changes when she stumbles upon a puppy named Mystère. Things start to look up for her until she discovers that the animal is, in fact, a wolf, and despite several warnings, her father finds it difficult to separate the two.

Note: This article contains spoilers.

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Vicky and her Mystery: Detailed review

Netflix's Vicky and her Mystery, originally Mystère, is yet another feel-good film by the streaming giant. Nothing can ever go wrong when animals are involved, and Vicky and her Mystery really tops off with that theme this festive season. It beautifully portrays the endearing and unshakeable bond between a child and an animal to its very core, surely to melt hearts.

The film almost feels like a documentary as viewers will see personal stories unfolding in a very colorless way. But cinematography and music in the movie add life to the beauty of the Cantal mountains of Central France. Vicky and her Mystery opens with Stéphane and his eight-year-old daughter Victoria moving into the hilly region after her mother's passing.

Things are strained on the personal front due to their loss, and Victoria is not seen talking at the beginning of the film. All her father's efforts to engage are met with silence, making it clear that the young girl is struggling to cope with her mother's death, communication being her enemy. Stéphane attempts to bring Victoria out of it by proposing a trek to which she doesn't respond at first. But as soon as she sees him setting off on his own, she puts on her shoes and joins him.

This very moment is the first time viewers will see the father-daughter duo indulging in an activity together. After a considerable amount of trekking, the two realize that they might be lost, so Stéphane seeks assistance from a solitary house.

The man offers them water and guides them, while Victoria discovers a young puppy sleeping in a bucket of straw at the barn. She learns that his name is Mystère and that he was a gift to the man from the forest itself. The man then encourages Victoria to keep the animal, and without her father's knowledge, she smuggles the pup back home in her backpack.

Several aspects of Vicky and her Mystery work in its favor, along with the music and cinematography. Like how the Wolf puppy was able to bring Victoria out of her sadness and the general portrayal of the bond between them. Although the narrative lacks adequate conflict as to how a wild animal like that cannot be domesticated, he lives with Victoria.

All-in-all, Vicky and her Mystery is perfectly content with the nuances of animal-human behavior. It is reassuring to see Vicky make it out of her depression, all through an animal that communicates with her in several ways.

As for someone with a pet, the film might be endearing and engaging. It gives the message that the rightful place for a wild animal is not with humans but with their own kind, especially by showing a young girl understands the need for the same.

Vicky and her Mystery is inspired by true events as the end credits show a recent picture of Mystère with Victoria, whom she met when she was just three years old. The film delivers a good message and gets all the points for its stunning cinematography and music, but it needs more to sustain itself as a work of fiction. According to Movie Nation:

"It's irresistible."

Fall in love with animals all over again with Vicky and her Mystery, now available to stream on Netflix.