Having just been hit by a car, a dog narrator sets up a frame story in which the events of the film are established as her life flashing before her eyes.

Years pass by and Solange, now a teenage, takes Marona on a walk and decides to tie her to a tree and sneak off — presumably to go to a party.

Writing in the New York Times, Teo Bugbee says "images appear pasted together like a collage, with elements assembled from distinct styles.

"[5] Marona's Fantastic Tale has also been applauded for avoiding a formulaic storytelling approach, instead exploring themes of belonging and love in a thoughtful manner.

"[6] Similarly, Matt Zoller Seitz says "this is a movie about existence, about the ordinary yet often wrenching truth of what it means to live, age, and die, leaving a legacy of love and regret, if not necessarily children or achievements.