
Despite being no saint herself, Julia Cody has shielded her seventeen year old son, Joshua "J" Cody, from her Melbourne-based criminal relatives who they have not seen in years. After Julia dies in front of J's eyes from a self-inflicted heroin overdose, J, who is slightly detached from life, feels he has no choice but to contact his maternal grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody, the family matriarch, for a place to live. Smurf rules the family with a borderline incestuous love o... (Full plot summary below)
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Despite being no saint herself, Julia Cody has shielded her seventeen year old son, Joshua "J" Cody, from her Melbourne-based criminal relatives who they have not seen in years. After Julia dies in front of J's eyes from a self-inflicted heroin overdose, J, who is slightly detached from life, feels he has no choice but to contact his maternal grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody, the family matriarch, for a place to live. Smurf rules the family with a borderline incestuous love over her three sons, the quietly menacing Andrew "Pope" Cody, the hyperactive Craig Cody, and the barely of age Darren Cody. Pope and his best friend, Barry "Baz" Brown, are armed robbers, with Darren their up and coming apprentice, while Craig is a mid level drug dealer. Melbourne's Armed Robbery Squad is after specifically Pope, who is hiding out. But when the standoff between the Codys and the Armed Robbery Squad is brought up a notch, an all out war ensues, with some casualties and J caught in the middle. The only grounding in J's life is his girlfriend, Nicky Henry. With those casualties comes an investigation by Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Nathan Leckie, who knows the Codys are involved in some of those deaths. As Leckie tries to get J on his side, J has to figure out how best to get himself out from the middle, where he trusts neither side. J also wants to figure out how to exact what he considers justice in an all around bad situation.
Leave your thoughts about Animal Kingdom.
| Little White LiesJason WoodUtterly thrilling, Animal Kingdom exudes stunning depth and complexity. |
| Houston ChronicleAmy BiancolliIt's a remarkable film: A gritty, gut-churning, crime thriller based on a true story. Its greatness lies in its unwavering fidelity to human nature and the unstoppable laws of the wild. |
| Film School RejectsNeil MillerA well-rounded, unrelenting thriller that holds tight and squeezes all the way to the final credits. |
| HeyUGuysJamie NeishA compelling, astounding and beautifully executed crime drama, supported by vigorous performances by the entire ensemble. |
| Urban CinefileAndrew L. UrbanIt's a pleasure to see an Australian genre movie in which story and character are given equal importance and are so well defined and delivered. That it won a major award at Sundance shows its creative credentials: its popularity will show its audience app |
| Empire Magazine AustralasiaEd GibbsOutstanding. Never before has a tale of crime and punishment been so exquisitely handled by one of our own. This is a towering achievement. |
| CHUDDevin FaraciElegiac, powerful, sweeping and personal, Animal Kingdom is one of the best films this year. |
| East Bay ExpressKelly VanceThe cast turns utter naturalism into a raging zoo of survivalism, with brilliant little scenes scattered like spilled cereal throughout the screenplay. |
| QuickflixSimon MiraudoFor anyone who still thinks Australia only produces boring films about the outback, Animal Kingdom should come as a welcome gunshot to the head. |
| Flicks.co.nzAndrew HedleyA cracking story with fascinating characters; an engrossing tale of a family's fall. |