Netflix’s Best-Kept Horror Secret: I Lost My Body — an Eerie Animated Tale of a Severed Hand
Netflix currently streams the French animated film I Lost My Body (French: J’ai perdu mon corps), a 2019 feature directed by Jérémy Clapin. The movie follows a severed hand as it travels across Paris while intercutting scenes about its former owner, Naoufel.
- What is I Lost My Body?
- Who made it and who voices it
- Plot in brief
- Awards and recognition
- Where to watch and trailer
What is I Lost My Body?
I Lost My Body is a French animated drama released in 2019. It adapts a novel by screenwriter Guillaume Laurant. The film mixes present-day sequences with flashbacks and has a narrative that alternates between a detached hand moving through the city and the life of the hand’s former owner.
Who made it and who voices it
The film was directed by Jérémy Clapin. In the original French version, the lead character Naoufel is voiced by Hakim Faris. Netflix’s English-language dub features Dev Patel as Naoufel. The character Gabrielle is voiced by Victoire Du Bois in French and by Alia Shawkat in the English dub.
Plot in brief
The story centers on a severed hand trying to find its way back to its owner across Paris. Meanwhile, the owner, Naoufel, is shown in different timelines. He is a young Moroccan man living in France, delivering pizzas, and dealing with the death of his parents.
Flashbacks reveal key moments from Naoufel’s past, and the present-day timeline follows the hand’s physical journey. Together these timelines explain how the hand became separated and how Naoufel’s life unfolded afterward.
Awards and recognition
The film received international recognition. Notably, it won the Nespresso Grand Prix at the 2019 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Additionally, it was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards (2020).
Where to watch and trailer
I Lost My Body is available to stream on Netflix. For a look at scenes and tone, the English-language trailer is available online.
For reference, the film is based on a novel by Guillaume Laurant, and the English dub includes voice work by Dev Patel and Alia Shawkat. The movie presents both the hand’s journey and Naoufel’s personal history through interleaving timelines.
