Kiri and Lou Go Raaa!
Here's what you need to know: Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is a stop-motion animated feature starring Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Olivia Tennet, directed by Harry Sinclair. It premiered at Annecy in June 2026 and is currently available on major streaming platforms. It's a genuinely warm film about two mismatched characters — a gentle purple creature named Lou and an ungrateful baby dinosaur named Kiri — who get swept into a prehistoric adventure after Lou rescues Kiri from a flood.
That's the setup. Here's why it matters: this is the feature debut of characters who've already earned a BAFTA nomination on television, and it actually feels like a story worth expanding rather than a cash grab on familiar IP.
What happens in the film (and why the premise works better than it sounds)
Lou spots Kiri drowning in a prehistoric flood. He plunges in — trunk first, because his trunk has a habit of stretching at exactly the wrong moment — and pulls her to safety. Kiri's response? Ungrateful. Annoyed. Suspicious of this weird purple creature who just saved her life.
That's the emotional core, and it's surprisingly effective. What strikes me is how the film doesn't treat Kiri's ingratitude as a character flaw waiting to be fixed. It reads more like a survival mechanism — the kind a small dinosaur might develop when the world is ancient, vast, and occasionally floods without warning. Lou's patience with her never tips into martyrdom. He's just... patient. Clement's gift for playing earnest characters without making them naive carries the whole dynamic.
The plot that unfolds from there is a road-trip story across impossible landscapes. Two characters who don't want to need each other, slowly discovering that friendship isn't something you find in safe, comfortable places — it's what happens when you're stuck with someone through chaos and you realize you'd rather face the next flood together than alone.
Why stop-motion makes all the difference here
Stop-motion animation is craft. Every frame requires repositioning puppets by hand, adjusting sets, timing light — hundreds of hours of labor for a single minute of finished film. You can see that tactile quality in Kiri and Lou Go Raaa!. There's texture. Slight imperfections. The faint wear on a puppet's surface, the way handmade sets catch light in ways that pure CGI can't quite replicate (or chooses not to, because perfection reads as cold).
Sinclair has always leaned into that quality in the TV series. The feature expands it rather than sanding it down. The prehistoric setting — broad, strange, populated with creatures that existed before language got complicated — gives the film room to be visually inventive without the burden of historical accuracy. That's a smart creative choice. It lets the story breathe.
Movie OTT tracks a lot of animated features across streaming platforms, and this one stands apart because it doesn't rely on spectacle or scale to carry the emotional weight. The character work is the story. That's rarer than it should be.
Where to watch and what you should know about the release
Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is available now on major OTT streaming services — the exact lineup varies by region, which is why the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page on Movie OTT is your fastest bet for checking what's live in your country. Streaming rights shift constantly (platform licensing is a mess), so don't rely on a static list.
If you're in New Zealand or Australia, theatrical availability through Vendatta Films may still be running alongside the streaming window, depending on when you're reading this. Bigger screen, better experience — stop-motion rewards the visual real estate.
The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2026. That's one of the most prestigious showcases for animated work globally, and the selection matters. It signals confidence in the craft. According to Variety, theatrical distribution is handled by Vendatta Films (New Zealand/Australia) and CAKE (international rights), which suggests real ambitions beyond the home market.
As for runtime and age rating — you'll want to check Movie OTT's details page for your region, since those specs vary. But the film is designed as family viewing. Kids follow the adventure; adults catch the quieter emotional beats underneath.
Who voices Lou and Kiri (and why the casting works)
Jemaine Clement voices Lou. If you've watched What We Do in the Shadows or Flight of the Conchords, you know his voice — that particular blend of warmth and mild bewilderment that works perfectly for a creature who's patient but slightly confused about why he's rescuing ungrateful dinosaurs. He brings a gentleness to Lou without making the character soft.
Olivia Tennet voices Kiri with a bristling, funny edge that keeps the character from tipping into pure adorableness. She sounds like a creature who's been through something. Suspicious. Defensive. That dynamic between them — Clement's patient warmth and Tennet's sharp skepticism — is what makes the relationship work on screen.
Both actors were part of the original Kiri and Lou TV series, so there's continuity. They know these characters. The performances don't feel like voice acting over animation; they sound like genuine conversation.
The original TV series (if you want context, but don't need it)
Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is based on the Kiri and Lou animated series, which aired starting in 2019 and earned a BAFTA nomination. That's the pedigree. But here's the thing — you don't need to have seen the series to follow the film. The feature works on its own. It expands the world of those characters, but it doesn't require homework.
That said? If you like the film, the TV series is worth tracking down. Same characters, same warmth, shorter episodes. It's the kind of thing that rewards rewatching.
Who should actually watch this
Honestly, Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! works on multiple levels without straining to prove it. Kids will follow the adventure. Adults will catch the quieter emotional beats. Animation enthusiasts will appreciate the stop-motion craft. Fans of the original series get a feature-length story they've been waiting for. None of those audiences are in conflict — they're just watching different layers of the same film.
It's not perfect. No film is. But it's genuinely warm. That counts for a lot — especially in a landscape crowded with animated features designed to hit every demographic at once without connecting with any of them. Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! connects. It trusts its characters and its audience.
Next step: Check Movie OTT for where it's streaming in your region, pick the biggest screen you've got access to, and watch it with someone who might appreciate a story about finding friendship in unexpected places. You'll know within the first five minutes if it's working for you.
