UShito in 2023, The animal kindgom it’s a French film (Le Règne animal) of the sci fi – dystopian – horror genre directed by Thomas Cailley. On air this evening on Rai 4 at 9.20pmtells how adolescence, without the right awareness, it can be a frightening period, even “just” for the changes in the body: an apparently monstrous transformation. Horror has been around for a very long time Carrie so to speak, it is used as a tool to metaphorically narrate this sensation with female protagonists, The animal kingdom it does it with a male protagonist.
The animal kingdom on Rai 4: plot and review of the film broadcast on 28 January
In the near future, humanity is shocked by mysterious and inexplicable mutations which gradually transform part of the population into human-animal hybrids, considered by many to be a threat and locked up in specialized centres. Among these there is also the mother of the young Emil (Paul Kircher).
At the beginning of the story, Emil runs away with his father François Marindaze (Romain Duris) towards the South to seek a new life. So he has to face a new school, new classmates, evenings with friends, first loves. Suddenly, his body begins to change.
Written and directed by Thomas Calley, The Animal Kindgom proposes a dystopian future which, as often happens, is not very far from contemporaneity. The creatures are the metaphor of those who are different that humans do not welcome and attack, believing them to be a threat. The real monsters, the film tells us, are those who feel normal. Very clear messages that the dialogues only underline several times.
Paul Kircher and Roman Duris in “The animal kingdom” (I Wonder Pictures)
At the center of the story, the young Emil, struggling with difficult relationships with others, for the fear of being excluded, and with himself (the smell that changes, the hair on his back that appears). Initially he is afraid, perceiving himself as different and wrong. By learning to accept himself, Emil will learn to accept others too, but will have to come up against the distrust of adults, including those closest to him.
In fact, the father-son relationship has a lot of space, through characters with very conventional traits (the second thoughtful but distrustful, the second elusive but open-minded) which do not make it easier for the viewer to become passionate about their stories.
In terms of atmosphere, despite the premises the film does not slip into pure horror territories, to soon become an adventure fairy tale along the lines of many well-known American works of the 80s. In fact, the bond between the protagonist and a bird-man who cannot fly becomes fundamental to the story: the two join forces against everyone. In The animal kingdomThe However, the fun and pleasure of the story are crushed by the urgency of transmitting one’s message.
Paul Kircher (I Wonder Pictures)
The cast of The animal kingdom
Playing Emil we find Paul Kircherone of the great promises of contemporary French cinema. In 2021 it stands out thanks to Le Lyceen, three years later he won the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival for Leurs enfants après eux. We recently saw it in theaters with The colors of time.
To support his remarkable performance, there are several well-known names, such as Romain Duris, interpreter of the protagonist’s father. The actor is known to the Italian public for The Spanish apartment, while recently we saw it in Finding yourself in Tokyo. In the role of an indomitable policewoman, who fights against her colleagues to welcome the creatures, she is there Adèle Exarchopoulos.
