Animalia

An unusual phenomenon is spreading in the world. Humans randomly start mutating into animals. The cause of this process is unknown, and the treatments do not give results. The film focuses on a high school student who lives with his father, while his mother is in the process of mutation in a specialized institution.

"The Animal Kingdom" is a coming-of-age drama with elements of fantasy and horror and some humor. It can be interpreted in various ways, literally and metaphorically, but I don't want to get into that multitude of interpretations, let everyone judge for themselves. I will present only my impressions, positive and negative.

The film is visually beautiful. Cinematography, make-up, and effects are superb, and for much less money than in Hollywood. The creatures, for lack of a better term, are striking and endearing. Romain Duris is good in the role of the father, and Paul Kircher in the role of the son gave an Oscar-worthy performance. I like the messages that the film sends, and the main asset is certainly the originality of the premise and the approach to it.

However, in my opinion, the script is too weak for such an original and interesting idea. The story is insufficiently developed, especially for a film of over two hours. You will not find out how and why these mutations occur and on what scale. If humans devolved into lower primates, the film would fall into the realm of sci-fi, but as they randomly mutate into literally anything and everything, not just mammals, but insects, reptiles, amphibians, and birds, I'd rather classify it as fairy tale fantasy, which conflicts with the very realistic tone of the film. I get the impression that "The Animal Kingdom" got dissolved in trying to cover too many themes and send too many messages across too many genres, and as a result, it felt sketchy and tepid. The authors bit off more than they could swallow and failed to fulfill the big potential of the project they embarked on.

Overall, a technically good but essentially disappointing film. Still, it's worth watching, if for no other reason than for the contrast to the garbage America is showering us with, the original ideas and performance of Paul Kircher.

7/10.

Caught this gem at Leeds Film Festival 2023-mind-bending sci-fi! Ingenious ecological themes, subtly tackling modern issues. The father-son bond, portrayed flawlessly, lingers. Perfect casting, especially the son-raw angst and joy. Fellow cast members ace their roles, loved Fix and Froggy. Plot spoilers aside, it's a rare cinematic marvel. A satire, coming-of-age, and ecological fable in one, redefining our connection to the world. A fantasy film with mind-blowing creatures and imagery on an average budget. The return of a specific creature shifts perceptions artfully. A film that might inspire future filmmakers and change lives-it's truly magical. The potential realism adds another layer. The acting, effects, and classroom dynamic-stellar. An absolute must-see, seamlessly blending reality and fantasy.

A good French science fiction movie deserves to be highlighted, as it doesn't happen often.

The concept of this film is quite innovative (I don't recall seeing a movie with the same idea) and honestly, it works.

Three things stand out for me in this film: beautiful cinematography with well-shot scenes, high-quality special effects and makeup worthy of a major production, and most importantly, a well-executed story with actors fully committed to their roles.

In the film, we don't always know where it's heading, but that's exactly what makes it great. Sure, we don't get all the details about how this "disease" came to be, but it doesn't stop us from understanding the film as a whole. Besides, the movie is already 2 hours and 8 minutes long; if they focused on every detail, it would easily stretch to 2 hours and 45 minutes.

I think the film cleverly mirrors our society, highlighting extremes that emerge around certain issues, and the tendency to separate rather than bring people together.

Special mention to the actor playing Emile, who delivers an excellent performance. I hope we'll see him again on the big screen.

There's only one downside for me: Emile's classmates. They don't act poorly, but their characters aren't well developed. They're very stereotypical (like American "bad boys"), which doesn't align with reality in France.

This is my first review, so please be kind.

At satire, a coming-of-age story, and ecological fable... The Animal Kingdom is all that at the same time. It is also a drama and a comedy, a love story, a father-son story... A hybrid film of crazy ambition, which unfolds gradually to end up as nothing less than a redefinition of our relationship to the world and to nature. Without grandiloquent speeches but with great intelligence in the distillation of its story elements and a great sense of imagery. Because above all else, The Animal Kingdom is a real, big fantasy film, which makes the most of its average French film budget to show creatures and shots never seen before, ones that we'll never forget. Without saying too much, the way in which one specific creature returns in the film and causes a shift in the perception of the characters and the audience simply by the way it is filmed demonstrates an acute science of cinematographic art. It might now work for some people, but I am convinced that for others this film can be a truly foundational experience. People will decide to make films after seeing this film, people will change their lives. I saw it 4 days ago and in moments of doubt or sadness, I think about it and it's like a balm. To be honest, I don't really know how to explain it. There is something magical about this film.

The animal kingdom is a film that does good, already it is a new proof that when French fantasy cinema dares, it is. Imperfect also, yes, some dialogue and situation are not perfectly credible with some biases in the history a little steep and fast, But we easily forgive him so much to see the real staging and endearing characters all in a scenario that surprises and surprises, offers a real breath of fresh air. Full of poetry, the story managed to do what we have been waiting for so long: a real fantasy film, not an American film antic.

My only regret, even if the casting is interesting, remains the director of actor who at times is a really little right especially with the character of Émile and Julia (Adèle Exarchopoulos), Romain Duris is as for him and as often, impeccable. So yes the dialogues are not always well written and it's even quite surprising, because the film is doing very well at other times. In short, it is a bit irregular and it is a bit of a shame, like its history which does not always sound very realistic in the treatment of bugs in our society.

But the heart is elsewhere, the Animal Kingdom also chooses to be more poetic than realistic and it is little to be for better to avoid some discomfort that could occur for the benefit of what it tells. He catches up in every way with a treatment much smarter than it seems, full of meaning with his quality staging. The special effects are superb, the story offers an intelligent look that takes the guts (personally I really hooked from half) with a touch of humor well dosed. A little like the main character who assumes himself, the film seems to follow the same path, when he becomes himself, he touches with the finger what we hoped for more with French fantasy cinema: to tell something powerful and authentic without overbidding. Sign of our time, emphasis of our time on our own metamorphosis, it is a real moment of unexpected freedom that makes a crazy good.