O Reino Animal

When people start randomly turning into animals, a father and son must keep a secret from a small town.

Firstly this is one of the best opening scenes to a movie I've seen in a while. It sets up the whole premise while circumnavigating your expectations.

It's not a superhero movie but it definitely has the feel of the earlier X-men films. Focusing on teens transitioning into adults/ mutants/ animals.

I doubt The Animal Kingdom had the budget of a Marvel movie but the action is used sparingly and to great effect. Unlike most comic book movies it feels grounded in reality, which makes it even more shocking when a new beast appears.

The relationship between father and son is believable and you want the best for both of them.

Overall, a great coming of age film with a fantasy twist.

If you're new to the 1 inch barrier, than this is a great way to induct yourself into the world of foreign film.

The Animal Kingdom is screening at the French Film Festival now.

@WatchItWombat.

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.

The term "multilayered" is so overused in reviews but this is the first word that came into my mind as i am writing this. This is the definition of a "multilayered" movie. There are so many interpretations for this movie, even contradictory to each other. But it's not even an "open to interpretation" movie, i mean, you can take literally what is happening here, it's not necessary to look for metaphors or allegories. Personally though, i don't think this is a straightforward story. I believe there is a message here, in fact, this is a GREAT message, not like some suspicious and weird Holywood messages. The message here is : UNITY. Don't let powerful people/Governments/International or local Institutions/billionaires and even our inside fears and bad part of ourselves divide us. Power to the people.

Regarding the movie per se : Not just multilayered but even a multiple genre movie. A coming of age dramedy? A drama fantasy? A sci fi thriller? A post apocalyptic movie? A dark comedy/allegory? It's difficult to categorize it. In any case, this was enjoyable, even exciting at times. The biggest flaw here was its running time, this should have been 15 minutes shorter because there were some unnecessary/boring scenes. And the pace was not good at times. But overall, these things were not a distraction. Characters are so likeable that you root hard for them. Duris is a famous, great actor but Kircher was also amazing. Exarchopoulos did also a good job. There were many intense moments, many emotional moments and whilst there were not mindblowing twists, still i couldn't guess exactly where it goes.

The ending was MAGNIFICENT.

More ambitious movies like this, please.

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.

Caught this at the Sci Fi Day of Leeds Film Festival 2023. Like most good Science fiction it's got me thinking and reflecting on the modern issues explored by proxy. It's sort of an ecological anti-othering of different people and a great father and son bonding film.

I don't want to spoil any of the plot which is great. But for me, this film has a rarely seen perfect casting. The son is superb all gangly pout, angst and joy and sympathy. Together his father and him have a spot on relationship and great chemistry.

Every other member of the cast esp his school chums really fit their roles to a T. Ps also loved Fix and Froggy. The make up effects are fantastic too.

This one is going to stay with me for a while.