It plays by the noir book, but Michôd’s wallop from the wild side wields a tight grip of sure styling, taut plotting and poised performances.
It adds up to a potent Shakespearean brew that dramatises humanity’s kill-or-be-killed instinct with chilling conviction.
In an excellent cast, Weaver and Mendelsohn stand out as the monstrous matriarch and unhinged ‘Pope’ – one of the most manipulative, nuanced and terrifying of recent screen lunatics.
A dark rites-of-passage story meets lethal Shakespearean drama, with low-key performances that artfully get under the skin.
A triumph of both performance and substance right from the start.
Imagine Harold Pinter dramatising the Krays, or Edith Wharton scripting a Lizzie Borden biopic...Barely a single scene is unoriginal.
It’s a writing-directing debut with a thousand ideas and no intention of saving them for later.
This is no "G'dayFellas". "Our game, it's over, mate," says a character here. Michôd's looks like it's just beginning.
A tense, violent and supremely watchable crime drama.
A ferociously impressive feature debut from Australian writer-director David Michod.
Animal Kingdon is never an easy watch but its ferocity is offset by its humanity.
Animal Kingdom provides a world that you’d never want to live in, but which is fascinating to behold from afar.
The convoluted action that follows strives for the grandeur of Greek tragedy, something that doesn't always sit easily with the gritty style writer/director David Michôd deploys.
Animal Kingdom is skilfully lit and edited and the performances are remarkable.
The story has terrific drive, with Michod leavening the static patches with elegant, discreetly bold camera moves.
Animal Kingdom director David Michod takes us around Melbourne's dark side
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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