Review of Nocturnal Animals (2016) by Legitsalt — 28 May 2018

The opening says a lot about this film, this being "I am not your regular film". Although this scene may be seen as obscene or abhorred, it is truly an expression of freedom, something that characters in the film struggle to obtain.

The first main character is trapped between what she wants to be and what the world wants her to be, thus she is never truly free. Jake Gyllenhaal's real-life character was seeking artistic and expressive freedom, something he originally had when with Susan.

However, she changes her views, after she realizes how restraining the binds of the world can be. And with these changes, she shuts him out, setting him on a downward spiral. Susan is freed, however, whilst reading the book 'Nocturnal Animals' as she is able to explore and visit places beyond what is expected and wanted of her.

In the story, we follow a man who is bound by the restraints of having a wife and child. This changes, when they are raped and murdered, having been taken forcefully from him during a highway encounter.

Despite losing his familial bonds, he is still not free, since he takes it upon himself to spend every waking minute of his life to get revenge on their killers. In the end, it is this lack of freedom that causes him to die alone in the desert.

Similarly, Susan ends the film alone and deserted at a bar, waiting for a man who will never come. Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal both give excellent performances. I did find some issue with the logistics of both the real world and the one constructed in the novel.

If you enjoy an engaging thriller or the concept of a story within a story, then definitely check this one out.