ANIMAL KINGDOM (2010) - Movie Review

Director: David Michôd
Starring: Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, James Frecheville, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Writer: David Michôd
Runtime: 113 min
Rated: Rated R for violence, drug content and pervasive language
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

When his mother dies from an overdose, Josh Cody is taken in by his grandmother and uncles, the most notorious criminal gang in the city. When tensions rise, Josh is forced to choose between his treacherous family and the lawless police.

Review:

The 2010 crime drama "Animal Kingdom" marked the feature directorial debut of Australian filmmaker David Michôd ("The King", "The Rover") and spawned a hit TNT series that ran for six seasons. The show is a flashier, action-oriented piece of entertainment, and overall a completely different beast from the original movie, which is why people who love the show hate the movie and viceversa. Having recently watched all six seasons and rewatched the movie, I have to say that I much prefer the latter, but I did also enjoy the TV version, which does have its own merits. Comparisons between the two are nearly impossible, so let's get down to the review of the 2010 original.

The story is inspired by the infamous Melbourne-based Pettingill family, who were well-known for drug trafficking, arms dealing and armed robberies, and like in the film were headed by a matriarch. The title "Animal Kingdom" is basically a metaphor that runs throughout the movie to underscore the criminal underworld in which Joshua "J" Cody (James Frecheville) undergoes a brutal coming-of-age as he learns what it takes to survive. The urban landscape despicted by Michôd truly is an animal kingdom, in which cops are as corrupt as the criminals they hunt down, and the war that errupts between the two sides of the law is deadly and ruthless.

Caught in the crossfire is 17-year-old J, a quiet kid forced to turn to his estranged grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody (Jacki Weaver), when his mother dies of an overdose. His uncles are paranoid drug-dealer Craig (Sullivan Stapleton), homicidal maniac Andrew "Pope" Cody (Ben Mendelsohn) and the infantile Darren (Luke Ford), the youngest of the brothers. Together with family-friend Barry 'Baz' Brown (Barry 'Baz' Brown) the Cody brothers terrorize Melbourne with their violent robberies. Smurf is welcoming and accomodating, at first, but as the police begins to close in on the family, she turns menacing on a dime, so J has to adapt to his new situation and ultimately find his place in this animal kingdom.

First of all, the cast is fantastic. Frecheville is great in the role, perfectly portraying the pent-up frustration and despair. Weaver is angelic as the caring grannie, but devilish when she shows her true face, and it's such an amazing performance that it earned the actress an Academy Award nomination. Stapleton is beautifully unhinged, which brings a wild unpredictable quality to his character. And last, but not least, Mendelsohn steals the show as an unstable maniac who kills without remorse, and this performance skyrocketed the actor's career.

Michôd's script is very tight and I appreciated how much it's able to communicate with minimal effort, and how it fits its "weak versus the strong" theme in the overall plot without beating you over the head with the titular metaphor. Nothing feels forced, scenes flow naturally, and the dialogue is always on point. There are no dull moments, but the film's brooding, depressing atmosphere might be off-putting to some. I've heard of people quitting the movie after the first 20-30 minutes. That's a big mistake, because the film starts off slow but builds momentum in time right up until its shocking finale. Another great touch is that the violence is very realistic, and when it happens on screen it's always startling and impactful. I've seen more experienced filmmakers fail to pull this off.

If I were to throw some criticism its way, I would say that maybe the characters could have used a little more development, but maybe that's just me wanting to see more of the story, not necessarily something Michôd could have fixed in the script. It's the same feeling that probably led to the creation of the TV show, knowing that there's more story to tell with these characters and this world.

"Animal Kingdom" is a smart movie, written and directed with surprising confidence from a first-time feature filmmaker. However, I will admit that it's not for everyone. Its bleak atmosphere and minimalistic filmmaking style might scare viewers off, but I recommend holding on until the end. It might even take repeat viewings to let the story sink in. But once it does sink in, it's a haunting story that will stay with you long after the credits start rolling.

SCORE: 9/10