Directed by Călin Cazan and Mircea Toia (who also made Delta Space Mission) this Romanian science fiction animated movie is at once several films you’ve seen before and then like nothing you’ve seen before.

In the year 6470, two married explorers receive a distress signal from a female astronaut who went missing years before. Leaving their son Dan safely on their ship — or so they think — they go missing as well as the ship crashes into an alien planet that their son must soon learn to survive, then find his parents and battle the evil Von Kleefe.

The art style of this film brings to mind Heavy Metal and other 80s fantasy like Rock and Rule and Fire and Ice, particularly as the animation uses rotoscoping. Obviously, it has a debt to Star Wars, but then it has telekinetic blob aliens, a synth soundtrack and so many moments that become purely psychedelic.

This also has the most calming feel of any animated space opera I’ve ever seen. It’s literally a chill out movie and I mean that in the most glowing of ways. It’s the perfect comfort cartoon.

The Deaf Crocodile blu ray of The Son of the Stars has a new restoration by Deaf Crocodile from the original 35mm negative, a commentary track by film journalist Samm Deighan, an interview with co-director Călin Caza and an essay by Stephen R. Bissette. You can get it from Deaf Crocodile.