Review of American Animals (2018) by Cathy H — 23 Jun 2018

I had no idea what this movie was when I went to see it; it happened to be playing in a timeslot when I was free. Boy am I glad! I found American Animals to be one of the most thought-provoking movies I have seen this year, and I would love to see it get some attention at awards time.

Ostensibly, this is the story of the theft of rare books and art from a university collection. That act itself becomes almost the least interesting thing to ponder about this movie, though. When I told my husband how much I liked this movie and that this theft was the featured action but not the main reason to see it, he asked if the movie explains why it happened. My answer to that was decidedly not. I don't want to give away anything more about what happens and I don't want to influence what you see in the story, but I implore you to see this movie.

American Animals is great storytelling and I loved its style. I haven't read anything about how it was made or any other reviews, but I will be. Truly, I urge you to make an effort to see this movie. It's not playing widely, but if you can find it, I think you will be glad.