The muscular, unflinching story of a young 17-year-old boy attempting to avoid falling into the violent way of life lived by his career criminal family, Animal Kingdom is reminiscent of other Australian crime dramas like The Boys or Chopper. Tremendously powerful, it makes for electrifying and sobering viewing.
As the boy’s family of sociopathic bank robbers repeatedly humiliates the Australian authorities, they find themselves targeted by a police vigilante death squad which proceeds to pick the family off one by one. Guy Pearce gives a convincing performance as the straight cop who sees a chance of saving the young man from the influence of his brutalising family; but he hasn’t reckoned on the corruption lying at the heart of his own fellow officers.
At once haunting, relentless and thrilling, with labyrinthine plotting, kinetic camerawork and thoroughly convincing performances adding up to entirely bravura filmmaking. Featuring Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton and Jacki Weaver alongside Pearce.
Winner of the World Cinema Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival 2010.