Review of American Animals (2018) by Wayne K — 07 Sep 2018

Covering the planning, execution and aftermath of one of the most fascinating but little-known heists in recent history, American Animals is a highly enjoyable romp filled with charismatic performances, clever writing and frequently disarming emotion.

The film suffers from the same problem that Touching The Void did, in that the interviews with the real-life individuals might be interesting and authentic, but it makes it harder for the viewer to imagine the actors in their respective roles as a result.

But it is still great to see them interviewed, and work out how their stories can often contrast with each other in places. It has a bit of a wobbly 3rd act, where it almost feels like nothing is left aside from the inevitable climax, but the film as a whole works because you strangely grow to admire the quartet for the effort they put into their heist, even if almost every conceivable things goes wrong from the outset.

To detail these failings would be to spoil the story, so instead I'll simply say that the film works as both a crime caper and a human examination, with 4 individuals united to carry out a task that quickly overwhelms them, and we get to witness every moment of it.