Yet another traffic jam incites a father-son argument between François and Émile. Amidst the standstill, an unexpected surprise emerges - a bird-like man who escapes from a stuck ambulance, leaving both father and son in shock.
Thomas Cailley’s sci-fi fantasy “The Animal Kingdom” dives into the consequences of such piercing abnormalities in an otherwise regular life. In this world, some humans genetically mutate into beast-like species. These alterations make them societal outcasts, banished into hospital environments or zoo-like centers due to the potential risks their new form might impose.
Even Émile’s mother, Lana, falls victim to this societal banishment due to her mutation. As François navigates his fatherhood and a new job and Emile struggles to fit in school, the world around them evolves as more such mutations emerge. Unsettling changes start to appear in Émile as he too, begins his transformation.
The film adopts a magical realist approach that beautifully intertwines these supernatural elements with the fundamental realities of everyday life. Metaphorically, these creatures represent societal reactions to health crises and how fear often dictates response. The film resonates with the isolation techniques employed during AIDS/HIV and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Émile’s growing affection for a classmate and François’ budding curiosity about a disenchanted cop named Julia are sidelined in the maelstrom of transformation and grief. It is hard to skip a beat when you're going through the pulse of reality. The sun-kissed French countryside and wild forests form an idyllic backdrop amidst the chaos. The excellent performances of Romain Duris as François and Paul Kircher as Émile accentuate the intricacies of dealing with these strange changes.
“The Animal Kingdom” is a poignant reflection of society's response to ostracism due to uncontrollable differences, akin to X-Men but devoid of superpowers. Perfectly muddled CGI effects create chimeras that merge feathers, scales, and fur onto human skin, illustrating empathy for both the transformer and the people around them grasping for normalcy. As we wrestle with the new strange days, we witness humanity's paradoxical fear of the very monsters it creates in its quest to restore order. Life continues to find its way forward despite the unfolding complexities.
