Synopsis
Joshua “J” is taken in by his extended family after his mother dies of an overdose. The clan, ruled by J’s scheming grandmother, is heavily involved in criminal activities, and J is soon indoctrinated into their way of life. But J is given a chance to take another path when a cop seeks to help him.
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Cast
- Ben MendelsohnAndrew 'Pope' Cody
- Joel EdgertonBarry 'Baz' Brown
- Guy PearceNathan Leckie
- Luke FordDarren Cody
- Jacki WeaverJanine 'Smurf' Cody
- Sullivan StapletonCraig Cody
- James FrechevilleJoshua 'J' Cody
- Dan WyllieEzra White
- Anthony HayesDetective Justin Norris
- Laura WheelwrightNicky Henry
Recommendations
- 91
Entertainment Weekly
Don't be fooled: In this unpeaceable kingdom, the den mama is also ready to eat her young. - 90
Boxoffice Magazine
This could have been a slick little thriller. Instead, it evolves into the unfolding of an epic tragedy. - 88
Observer
Among the most gripping, well-paced, acted and directed, and generally thrilling of anything that I've seen (yet) this year. - 83
The A.V. Club
Animal Kingdom joins in the tradition of brutally unsentimental Australian crime dramas like "The Boys," in which the stakes are low, except to the people staring down the barrel of a gun. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
A naturalistic drama rich in psychology and attention to details. There's no glamour here, but one false move by anyone can result in death, so tension fills nearly every scene. - 80
Time Out
The strength of Animal Kingdom is its slow-building fatalism; the criminals' luck runs out, but then finds depressing extension via an out-of-left-field collaborator. It's a movie that has very little faith in authority, not even in Guy Pearce's righteous detective. The only law here is Darwin's. - 75
Movieline
Because Animal Kingdom is so richly suffused with atmosphere and style, you could almost float right past the deficiencies in its story in an admiring trance. - 75
Rolling Stone
Writer-director David Michôd catches you in a vise and squeezes - hard.
