American Animals (2018)

American Animals (2018)

2018 R 116 Minutes

Drama | Crime

The unbelievable but mostly true story of four young men who mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious art heists in U.S. history.

Overall Rating

7 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • Elmntsofmadness

    Elmntsofmadness

    10 / 10
    There’s this feeling that infuses all youth; a feeling that something at some point from somewhere will happen and their lives will rise up out of the banal to become extraordinary. That feeling can turn into a sense of existential dread that ascends within us as we begin to realize that we’re not destined for glorious purpose. And that’s the part that kills the soul. That’s what makes each of us face our mortality in a way that sucks the joy out of the simple things and can drive us to do crazy things. Bart Layton’s feature-debut, "American Animals", suggests that it’s this fear of being ordinary that drove four young men to rob the Transylvania University Library of several books valued over $12 Million on December 17, 2004. One part documentary and one part dramatization, Layton doesn’t strive to provide a solid reasoning for the robbery nor does he attempt to absolve them men for their crimes; rather, Layton presents the equally hilarious and melancholic story of four lost boys who did wrong.

    Full review: https://elementsofmadness.com/2018/06/08/american-animals/