My Animal premiered at this past January’s Sundance Film Festival to mixed reviews. Some praised it as innovative while others lauded it as the next great werewolf film. Werewolf films are my favorite of the quote-en-quote monster film genre. There is just a human element in them that sets them apart from other monster films such as Dracula and Frankenstein. This one is an interesting and new take on this genre.

Heather (Bobbi Savior Menuez) is a young woman who lives on the outskirts of a small town. She’s a bit of an outcast in her community. When she sees a beautiful figure skater Jonny (Amandla Stenberg) she is instantly attracted to her. Her desire for this girl conflicts with the dark secret she keeps hidden deep inside herself. All of this comes into conflict with her family’s past as well.

Besides the main plot of these two young women seemingly falling in love with each other, there are a couple of other subplots. Menuez’s character is a hockey Goalie but there is a women’s hockey team in her area so she works with her father and her twin brothers on their games. She gets an opportunity to play for the local men’s team but her infatuation with Stenberg’s character gets in the way. Along with Stenberg’s character’s so-called boyfriend who is a bit of a bully.

This film has a specific style it’s going for and for me, it’s right up my alley. There is a moody atmospheric vibe to this movie that makes it very different from most of today’s films. What it’s trying to go for is a period look set thirty years ago with the cars and clothes and hairstyles. Add in the music which was very much like synth electronic music from the 80s. The 80s had a bunch of good werewolf movies so this tries to be much like those films.

The cast in this film is OK with Menuez and Stenberg being the two standouts. Menuez is especially good in this role. She exudes a moody somber appearance and demeanor most of the time but when she’s with Stenberg’s character it makes her happier. Stenberg brings a different turn here than she’s brought in other films but she’s here mainly to support Menuez. Her secret is very conflicting for her to deal with. She wants to be happy but things get in the way of that. 

The director Jacqueline Castel and the Writer Jae Matthews create a vibe unlike anything I’ve seen this year. They take a different path with the werewolf genre. Even though there are a lot of vibes from the 80s and 90s within the film. The cinematography by Bryn McCashin uses a lot of nightlight and lamplight and signs to light scenes. Reds are very prominently used in many scenes to symbolize the rage and bloodlust of the main character. This helps create a specific mood the filmmaker and writer are going for. 

My Animal captures a lot of what I remember from classic werewolf films from the 80s. The mood lighting and music the filmmakers use to play right into what the vibe of this movie is going for. The cast is Okay but Menuez is a standout in the lead role. Stenberg is good in a supporting role but she’s done better work in the past. I’ve seen better werewolf films but this one is still good and has some interesting takes on the genre. With the Halloween season coming it may be coming out at the right time.

3 stars

Dan Skip Allen