Animal Kingdom

AroView: The deadly underworld politics of a Melbourne crime family come under the microscope in this outstanding Australian gangland thriller.

Framed around several creepy, career-making performances – in particular, Jackie Weaver as the clan’s saber-toothed matriarch – the film’s small-scale conflict benefits immensely from dir. Michod’s sophisticated camera work and eye for unnerving details. Underneath it all, it’s nothing we haven’t necessarily seen before, though still has the power to stagger as a distinctive and impressive first-time filmmaking effort.

“A slow-boiling, nail-biting, psychological ride… one of the best Australian films in recent years.” ~SIMON WEAVING, SCREENWIZE