by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
What are some of the most powerful tools that film has up its sleeve to capture the imagination of its audience? Allegory and metaphor. Film is unique in the way it combines the written word and transforms it into an auditory and visual experience. A film can take complex and significant themes and motifs, and morph them into a package that is accessible for an audience to process. There is the room to get creative, and work with genres and concepts that are fantastical, while delivering an impactful message that the whole audience can empathize with. That is exactly what Jacqueline Castel had in mind with her new horror film, My Animal.
What does Castel bring to life in the package of Jae Matthews’ screenplay? The central piece of this horror romance is that a young person, Heather (Bobbi Salvör Menuez), has a generation curse that affects her and turns her into something dangerous and unexpected. I will try to be vague for the sake of minimizing the spoilers, but Heather has dark, animalistic urges that get in the way of any type of significant relationship outside of her family. This is a shared experience with Heather’s father and siblings which captures the struggles of generational trauma. But these urges come with plenty of meaning in a time where so many people struggle for acceptance due to their sexuality and gender. The most obvious parallel is the experiences of transgender youth, and the backlash that they confront daily. Castel tackles so much in an impactful, creative way thanks to the horror trappings that are involved in this story.
But does the narrative rise to the occasion? One of the weaker pieces of this film is that it plays things safe with its narrative beats. My Animal is not the first, nor will it be the last, genre film to capture big themes inside its allegorical fixings. There are some good surprises and effective elements, but the narrative might be the most predictable and expected. Heather will have a singular anchoring person in her life, only to deal with unexpected loss that causes turmoil. She will find love with a special person in her life (Amandla Stenberg’s Jonny), only for there to be heartbreak. There will be bullies who represent the societal backlash, and things will escalate to harmful places. These are all beats that come by that are not surprising, but at least they are competently delivered.
Speaking of delivered… what about the cinematic packaging that this story is presented in? This is oddly a period piece that rocks its ‘70s/‘80s aesthetics to the max. You can see it in the visuals from the start. The setting is a dark and snowy small town, and Castel and her cinematographer, Bryn McCashin, maximize it. The use of shadow and the darkness is stark and poignant. This helps capture some unnerving visuals that bolster the film’s horror elements. But the use of red and blue lighting creates a fascinating visual experience that is 100% ‘80s and eerie, to successful measures. The music also leans into a synth-heavy New Wave feel that captures an atmosphere. If the deeply resonant themes were not enough of a selling point for My Animal, the actual cinematic experience expertly flows between horrifying, tense, emotionally arresting, and euphoric.
Lastly, does this cast bring the goods? Menuez is saddled with a heavy role, filled with complex emotions. Heather is a challenging character who struggles through loneliness and distance to other characters, while repressing complex emotions centered around anger, attraction, and fear. Menuez embodies this loner type, and balances those complex emotions to create an empathetic protagonist who is both sad and dangerous. Stenberg is a confident performer who creates an alluring and magnetic character for Heather to fall in love with. We buy this potential relationship in no small part due to the way Stenberg plays their role. Stephen McHattie and Heidi von Palleske deliver as Heather’s parents, who are distinctly different yet both impressive in their dynamic with Menuez.
Does My Animal deliver a satisfying allegory? There are plenty of themes and enough craft that so many different types of people can find themselves in Heather’s struggle. Even if you can see where this story is going, the journey is still a haunting and poignant experience that sprinkles in hopes of romance and belonging. The horror elements deliver, and the cinematic trappings are striking. This is a modern and affecting take on a classic horror formula worth experiencing.
Rating: Love It
My Animal is currently playing in theaters and VOD
You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd