American Animals (2018)

Four young men mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious heists in U.S. history.

Jess' Review

American Animals is about a group of young men who set out to steal a priceless book from a university library. Simple premise. But as the filmmakers iterates to you from the get-go, an entirely true one that elevates this far from another cliche heist movie.

American Animals is shot in a unique way that tiptoes in and out of documentary territory. Alongside the stellar performances of Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Jared Abrahamson and Blake Jenner, the film offers the spotlight to their real-life counterparts in the form of controlled, candid interviews. It’s ingenious! As a huge fan of true-crime documentaries, podcasts and everything in between (stay tuned for a Tiger King review...), I loved this element. I thought it was remarkably done, blending the reality and reenactment seamlessly as a ongoing acknowledgement to this story’s origin.

The leading quartet are brilliant, capturing the naivety and impulsive nature of these criminals with a certain amount of heart. Peters’ portrayal of Warren Lipka is particular noteworthy, providing an eclectic catalyst for the heist. The interweaving of appearances from the real Warren Lipka, Spencer Reinhardt and co. provides yet another layer of humanity to these people. They are real. And demonstrate an insurmountable level of remorse and reflection as the film progresses. It’s powerful to watch.

The film toys with the idea of unreliable narrators well, and seems to spare no detail in the crime’s inception. I respect this, however it does slow the pacing. The action comes late, though hits hard as everything falls into chaos. The robbery scene had me squirming! It was tense, uncomfortable to watch and highlights just how out of their depth these men were. Bart Layton captures this spectacularly, with the ensuing escape and descent of our characters’ psyche.

In the final act, and small spoiler here - we hear from Betty Jean ‘BJ’ Gooch, the librarian. In this moment, Layton casts a spotlight on the true victim of this crime and highlights the impact of violence amidst this chaotic robbery. It’s humbling. So often in true-crime is the victim’s story (and often, identity) completely overshadowed by the thrill or repugnance of the criminals and their crimes; that it’s refreshing to have this thrust upon us here. This wasn’t a harmless crime. And whilst we’re not dealing with monstrous, gimmicky villains, the stars of this film are criminals, and I believe Layton insists we not forget that.

In summary, I thought American Animals was brilliant. It was engaging and thought-provoking, telling the tale of a crime as much as it allows reflection for those involved. The pseudo-documentary style might not suit everyone’s taste, but for me, this was truly exceptional.

8/10

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Sam's Review

Mr Yellow (it’ll make sense later on in the film) is the sloppy de facto leader who fell backwards into a bad idea. To call him a bad person is a stretch, but selfish and stupid feels pretty accurate. Which could sum up the rest of this otherwise unassuming collection of guys that attempt a brazen heist.

The film relies a little too heavily on the fact that it’s a true story at times, sacrificing pacing perhaps? The premise is interesting, but personally I find it a little lacklustre at first. Partially because, whilst I didn’t know the story, I knew where it was headed, and wanted it to just get there. (In fairness, this could be because the lockdown was particularly getting to me as I watched.)

That’s not to say the story isn’t interesting, because it is. And the *Spoiler* reflection of the real crew that intermingles with the story, giving it a documentary style vibe at times, is frank. It shouldn’t work, it should draw the audiences out of the film, and yet it’s inspired. It adds a layer of intrigue. It also humanises the characters, though they are criminals.

The cinematography is well done, but it is the editing that steals the film. Transitioning between shots and places within scenes is flawlessly achieved, and very unique and piques my interests when they start to dull.

It was tense towards the end, though every now and then it ventured into cringeworthy. Though, as it’s the telling of true events, that can be forgiven. Almost.

Did I enjoy it? Not especially. Yet I can see that it’s an accomplished film. It baffles me, especially as it’s technically proficient, why I don’t think higher of it. It’s clearly gifted, but it just didn’t grip me as it should have.

6.5/10

(7.5/10 is probably how it should be rated...)