Away (2019) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place on a remote, isolated island that features diverse environments ranging from harsh desert sands to lush forests by the ocean and snowy mountain peaks. The boy must cross this dangerous terrain to reach a distant port village on the far side of the island.

• setting
• island
• location
• desert
• forest
• mountains

The boy crosses a varied landscape that includes scorching desert, a hidden cave, grasslands, and ultimately snowy mountains. Each environment presents unique dangers as he flees the monster, with the terrain shifting from dry sands to green woodlands as he progresses toward the port village.

• terrain
• landscape
• journey
• environments
• desert
• forest
• mountains

The primary themes are survival and resilience, as the boy must endure an unforgiving landscape while evading a relentless black monster. The film also emphasizes companionship between the boy and a small yellow chick, who becomes his ally and gives him hope. The journey itself represents perseverance through adversity.

• theme
• survival
• resilience
• companionship
• journey
• hope

The giant black monster represents an relentless, life-threatening force that pursues the boy throughout his journey. Emerging from dust and consuming creatures in its path, the creature embodies pure threat and danger. Its transparency adds an eerie, elusive quality that heightens the sense of peril throughout the story.

• monster
• threat
• danger
• villain
• symbolism

The small yellow chick serves as an unlikely companion and guide for the boy throughout his journey. Despite its small size, it demonstrates remarkable resilience and acts as a source of hope. Their bond grows through shared danger and mutual trust, pushing the boy to act bravely and giving him a reason to persevere.

• chick
• bird
• companion
• ally
• friendship
• hope

The journey represents the boy's desperate quest to return home. Crossing desert, grasslands, and mountains tests his endurance and resourcefulness. The arc culminates in a dramatic rescue and return to civilization at the port village, symbolizing triumph over adversity and the achievement of hope.

• journey
• quest
• return home
• port village
• travel

The main character is a resourceful, determined teenage boy who wakes alone on a desert island. He quickly assesses threats, finds a map and supplies, and uses a motorcycle to traverse the dangerous terrain. His defining strength is his bond with the yellow chick companion as he faces the monster and elements.

• boy
• protagonist
• main character
• hero

The boy survives through resilience, resourcefulness, and steady nerves under pressure. He improvises with a map, backpack, and motorcycle, learning to read the land as a means of staying alive. His ability to adapt to each new environment and his determination to reach the port village drive his survival.

• survival
• resourcefulness
• adaptation
• skills
• resilience

Away is an animated adventure fantasy film. It combines elements of survival stories with fantastical elements, including a mysterious island setting and a mythical black monster. The film emphasizes themes of perseverance, hope, and the bond between unlikely companions.

• genre
• animation
• adventure
• fantasy
• style