“Family is everything, and family protects family.”
Written and directed by David Michôd, Animal Kingdom is an Australian film that revolves around the life of Joshua “J” Cody (James Frecheville), a teenager who reaches out to her estranged maternal grandmother Smurf (Jackie Weaver) after his mother’s fatal overdose. Unknown to him, he is part of a dysfunctional family embroiled in a criminal underworld.
The film primarily focuses on the activities of the Cody family and how J’s life is impacted. Not all are bad, but some are extremely devious. Animal Kingdom goes beyond typical police-criminal rivalry and systemic corruption.
Once J meets everyone, he realizes the great unease between the family members. His three uncles include a ruthless leader Pope (played by the amazingly scary Ben Mendelsohn), a successful drug dealer Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) and Darren (Luke Ford) who wants a normal life. The family’s closest ally is Barry Brown (Joel Edgerton) a level-headed and pragmatic partner in crime doing his best to protect his loved ones.
J’s life gets further complicated when he is introduced to investigating detective Nathan Leckie (Guy Pearce). Their interactions reveal J’s struggle for individuality. Throughout the film, J surprisingly remains stoic until a major emotional breakdown.
One of my favourite things about the film is that every character makes a mistake and the unexpected outcome makes absolute sense.
The standout performance in the film comes from Jackie Weaver, who portrays the Cody family’s matriarch. She is tender as well as frightening at the same time. With a gentle smile, she can threaten anyone.
At some point, you wonder where the protagonist will feel safe. He is in an environment where he cannot trust anybody.
The plot of Animal Kingdom does not focus on the end of crimes. Although justice takes place, we realize that crimes probably won’t end.