Sydney Film Festival: American Animals

Dani Chandrasoma
21st Jun 2018

“We must suppose that American animals, having in most cases ordinary powers of vision, slowly migrated by successive generations from the outer world into the deeper and deeper recesses of the Kentucky caves” - Charles Darwin. This lettering is in the opening sequence of American animals, a thought-provoking and entertaining movie based on a daring art heist undertaken by four college students in Lexington, Kentucky in 2004. Spencer Reinhard (Barry Keoghan) is a talented art student, who determines that every famous artist undergoes a life changing event, which provides a source of inspiration for his art. Spencer’s life in the suburb of Lexington is pedestrian at best; once he catches a glimpse of Audubon’s The Birds of America- the most expensive book in the world- on a tour of his University’s library, he decides that he needs to be the orchestrator of his own significant life event. His best friend is Warren Lipka (Evan Peters); the delinquent friend every parent is worried about, and once informed of the book’s existence Warren starts plotting how to get it.

The two friends soon realise that they will need more help if they are to get in to the library, protected by the librarian Betty Jean “BJ” Gooch, and pull off the heist. They enlist the help of Chas Allen (Blake Jenner) as the getaway driver, and Eric Borsuk (Jared Abrahamson) to aid with logistics. The plan quickly snowballs and the four would-be-thieves find themselves unable to extricate themselves from the plot as it gathers momentum.

Written and directed by Bart Layton, the difference between American Animals and most other movies based on real events is the incorporation of the real-life people in the movie itself. The four people essentially narrate the movie, with interviews regarding their memory of the sequence of events. Layton’s background in documentaries has likely aided what is a seamless transition between interviews with the screenplay. The impact of the heist on the community, on the teenager’s parents, and on the perpetrators themselves is addressed throughout the movie, which in no way glamourises the heist. Layton acknowledged that the characters own accounts and admissions have aided in providing closure to those hurt by the event.

While understandably a drama, Layton manages to expertly provide comedic relief at unexpected moments. Peters is excellent as young Warren, capturing his character’s larger-than-life personality, and Keoghan skillfully portrays the inner struggle within Spencer. Layton’s characters are three dimensional and vivid, mirroring the people they are based on perfectly.

American Animals is a fascinating account of a poorly thought out art heist undertaken by four privileged young men. Heists have frequently been glamourised in movies (Ocean’s 11 to 13 for example); this movie provides an authentic alternative, which makes it more intriguing and relatable.