This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 299! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Hey friends!
So, last night I caught The Animal Kingdom (2023) directed by Thomas Cailley, and… whew, I gotta say, this one was an unexpected treat! My mind is still reeling! You know how sometimes you watch a film and it just sticks with you? Yeah, this is totally one of those. So let me spill all the details about this wild French flick that had me glued to my seat and that manages to be both intriguing and unsettling in the most unique way.
So, here’s the thing: the film is set in a world where this massive evolutionary shift is happening, and some people start mutating into animal-human hybrids. Yep, you read that right. I know what you’re thinking—mildly trippy, slightly dystopian, maybe even a little bizarre, right? Well, bingo! But it’s so much more than that. Oh, and let’s just give a shoutout to the creature design department because those transformations are mind-boggling. We’re talking fur, feathers, scales—it’s like a zoological buffet! I almost wanted to start a drinking game where you take a sip every time a character sprouts a tail or an ear twitches. (Okay, don’t actually do that; your liver would hate you by the halfway mark.)
But let’s talk about the heart of this film: the father-son relationship between Francois, played by Romain Duris, and his son Emile (played by Paul Kircher). You can feel the weight of their relationship immediately. Like, from the start, Francois is this cool, somewhat stoic dad, but you sense he’s grappling with something deep. Turns out, navigating a world where people might just sprout wings or claws overnight is kind of a heavy burden. And Emile? Poor kid is struggling just like any teenager—with identity, acceptance, and trying to be normal in a world where normalcy is a moving target.
By the way, I loved Emile’s character arc. Watching him evolve (pun, very much intended) throughout the movie was so organic. You can almost feel the emotional tug-of-war he’s experiencing inside, torn between wanting to fit in and accepting the changes happening not only in his surroundings but within himself. The film really hit that whole “who am I?” vibe on the nose—and let’s be real, haven’t we all had those weird, existential moments where we look in the mirror and think, “Wait, who’s this weirdo staring back at me?” Maybe without the fur and claws, but still.
What I found particularly heartwarming—and at the same time heartbreaking—is how these monstrously surreal situations are treated with such tender normalcy by the characters. When Francois and Emile encounter others who are mid-transformation (think more werewolf and less Teen Wolf), there’s no horror. Instead, they greet these changes with a mix of curiosity and empathy that’s refreshingly humane. Seriously, I half-expected someone to whip out a manual titled “So You Grew a Tail—Now What?” but alas, no such thing existed.
The performances, though. Ah, the performances were just so… pure. Romain Duris absolutely nails the whole “I’m a dad and I’m tough, but I’m also terrified” persona, and honestly? I felt for the guy. You could practically taste his anxiety as he tried to navigate this treacherous new world and protect his son. And Paul Kircher, oh man—he’s got this gentle vulnerability that just pulls you right in. You could almost see the gears in Emile’s head turning, trying to piece together this oddly shattered world with what it’s supposed to be… whatever that may even be now.
But honestly, what I think set this movie apart for me was how much it balanced those layers of the human condition with this wild premise. It could have easily devolved (okay, enough with the puns, I swear) into just another sci-fi flick with mutated creatures running amok. But in Cailley’s hands, it became something more contemplative and grounded. Like, yes, people are turning into part-animal hybrids, but there’s this delicate focus on identity, emotion, and the bonds that tie us together, no matter how much fur or feathers might get in the way.
So, yeah, if you’re in the mood for a movie that’s gonna make you think, feel, and maybe look at your pet cat a little differently, “The Animal Kingdom” is where it’s at. If you like films that toe the line between reality and the utterly fantastical, while still carrying that emotional weight, then this one might be your jam.
Peace Out!
Roger
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