Animal Kingdom (2010)
Starring James Frecheville, Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton, Luke Ford, Sullivan Stapleton, Ben Mendelsohn, and Jacki Weaver
Directed by David Michôd
While Animal Kingdom certainly wasn't off my radar (what with Jacki Weaver's Supporting Actress nod at this year's Oscars), I wasn't expecting to be completely riveted while watching it...but riveted I was. This Australian modern-day crime drama slowly reveals its diabolical and surprising cards at just the right moments, creating an ominous tone throughout and proving that, along with 2010's release of the superb The Square, Australia is the new breeding ground for excellent thrillers.
Ultimately, I don't want to give much away here. It's great to see this film unfold without knowing a whole lot, so I'll simply say what I knew going into it. Seventeen year-old Josh Cody (James Frecheville) is left orphaned when his mother overdoses on heroin. Not knowing where to turn, he calls his grandmother Janine (Jacki Weaver) whom he hasn't seen in years. The outwardly pleasant Janine takes the teen into her home which she shares with her sons who all happen to be mixed up in various crimes, from robbing banks to selling drugs. That's it. That's all I knew...that's all you should know...now move this thing up towards the top of your Netflix queue.
First-time director David Michôd does a great job here. Lensing his own screenplay, I was honestly amazed at how many times I was genuinely surprised by the direction the film veered. And to keep things nervously tense for two hours is not an easy feat, but Michôd makes it seem like a piece of cake.
Of course, helping keep things interesting is Michôd's cadre of talented actors, including newcomer James Frecheville as Josh, who, much like the lead in the aforementioned The Square, plays things extremely solemn and gloomy, but manages to hold our attention nonetheless. Couple his glumness with Jacki Weaver's exuberance (and the underlying sheer nastiness underneath the pleasant façade) and you've got a pretty nifty duo to watch. But it would be a disservice not to direct your attention to the actors I list above underneath the title at the top of this post because everyone in this Australian crew is darn good. Particular kudos to Ben Mendelsohn who managed to truly skeeve me out every time he came onscreen.
Despite a slight bit of a lag in the film's first act, Animal Kingdom is absolutely a must-see and one of the best films of 2010. I doubt you'll be disappointed if you check it out.
The RyMickey Rating: A-
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