American Animals Review
This weekends box office estimates bring good and bad news. On the more positive side of things, Pixar’s clear love and dedication for animation has payed off once again with a massive $180 million for Incredibles 2(the highest of any animated film). Sadly, there’s also American Animals which fell to 24 domestically for a total of $760,545 2 weeks after being released(about 0.0004% of the Incredibles 2 opening).
It’s simply the nature of Hollywood. There’s plenty of big-budget films that deserve the praise and bucket loads of money they receive. Unfortunately, the success of some means the failure of others and plenty of fantastic films slip through the cracks. American Animals appears to be one of those cases.
The great thing about following all things film is when the big festivals(like Sundance) come around it’s an opportunity to start putting stuff on your radar. As a movie that many people probably don’t know about, keeping up with Sundance earlier this year, gave me a chance to put American Animals on my list.
I’m glad I did because this may be my favorite of the year so far. Inter-spliced with testimonials from the real people, it transforms from a traditional heist film into a unique and extraordinary story. It’s a movie that opens up with a bang and maintains that pace right up to the climax. The soundtrack is top notch and you immediately connect with the two main protagonists. As the crew continues to grow, each new member is a welcome addition to the bunch.
Then, comes the characters’ fall from grace. The guilt, regret, and unfortunate nature of everything that goes down is portrayed meticulously well. It really packs a punch and has something important to say. American Animals succeeds in both showing the folly of all the players’ decision making while also empathizing with what comes of those mistakes. That balancing act between the two is what makes it so good.
Definitely try to catch a showing of American Animals because it may end up surprising you. It’s a nice break from the usual summer release, not to mention a very impressive feat in filmmaking. It feels fresh and new. Something I’m glad I sought out.
