On Sept. 30, American hip-hop icon Kid Cudi released his latest project, titled “Entergalactic.” This was more than the usual music album, however, because this album coincided with the release of a Netflix-exclusive adult animated TV special.

“‘Entergalactic’ is a Kid Cudi album. Not a soundtrack,” Cudi shared on Twitter, although the film itself should not be ignored either (the album only runs for 45 of the special’s 92 minutes).

With that being said, how do these two projects work when brought together? Does one of them hold more value than the other, or does Cudi find the perfect connection between them just as his main characters do?

The film centers on a man named Jabari, voiced by Cudi. Jabari is an aspiring artist who has just moved to Manhattan after acquiring a job at a comic book company. Coming off of a tough breakup with his ex-girlfriend, Carmen (Laura Harrier), Jabari finds himself unsatisfied with his life and unsure of where these new developments in his life will take him.

After a rough night of partying, Jabari stops by his noisy neighbor’s apartment when attempting to fall asleep. He is surprised when he finds his neighbor to be Meadow (voiced by Jessica Williams), an optimistic amateur photographer. The two find themselves immediately drawn to each other, and they decide to go out to spend a day with each other.

The film follows the tumultuous relationship between Jabari and Meadow, delving into each of their lives and perspectives on love. Supported by a cast of eccentric side characters, the two lovers navigate through the trials and tribulations of adult dating life.

“Entergalactic” is a fun and enjoyable, albeit predictable, romance story. From the beginning, Cudi’s artistic vision for this project is clear. The film opens with a striking blend of psychedelic and comic-esque effects, and it sticks with that style all the way through whereas other films may be indecisive. For that, it certainly deserves credit.

The animation is pleasing to the eye and is reminiscent of that of “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.” Things never get too stale in terms of visuals, and Cudi’s music does well in underscoring the events of the movie. Cudi clearly put as much effort into the music as he did the story, as the album tracks feel authentic to his style and include features from artists one might expect on one of his typical releases, including Ty Dolla Sign and Don Toliver.

All things considered, this project was not able to achieve the perfect balance between a movie and an album. If anything, Cudi created a delightful film with a matching soundtrack that ultimately fades into the background. Perhaps the two would work better when viewed separately than they do together.

Overall, “Entergalactic” had a successful release, sitting at a 95% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.5/10 on IMDB. The album debuted at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and is Cudi’s seventh album to have a top-20 debut on the US charts. The album reached 22,480 units in sales after its first week.

“Entergalactic” can best be described as a film like no other, and it will certainly be remembered as one of the more unique parts of Cudi’s artistic catalog. The film is available exclusively on Netflix, and the album can be found on Spotify and Apple Music, along with most other music streaming platforms.