Animal Kingdom (2010)
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A young man seeking refuge with his estranged grandmother finds himself entangled in the dangerous world of her organized crime family.
The story
After his mother overdoses, 18-year-old Joshua "J" Cody seeks help from his estranged grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody. She invites him to move in with her, unaware that her home serves as a base for a Melbourne crime family. J is quickly introduced to the criminal underworld of his siblings and their associates, who specialize in armed robbery and drug dealing. As J becomes entangled in their operations, he must navigate the dangers of their lifestyle while being watched by a determined detective who recognizes the precarious position J is in as he is drawn deeper into the family's violent world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After his mother's death, J moves in with his grandmother, Smurf, the matriarch of a Melbourne crime family. The family includes his uncles: the drug-dealing Craig, the impulsive Darren, and the fugitive 'Pope'. J is quickly initiated into their criminal activities, including armed robberies and drug distribution. Following the death of their friend Baz at the hands of police, the family orchestrates a retaliatory strike against the police, resulting in the deaths of two officers. J is caught in the middle, pressured by the family to remain silent and by Detective Nathan Leckie to cooperate. After a series of violent escalations—including the murder of J's girlfriend, Nicky, and the imprisonment of Pope and Darren—J is coached by the family's lawyer to provide a specific testimony. Following a controversial acquittal for the family members, J is left in a state of hollow resignation. In the final moments, J returns to Smurf's home and shoots Pope in the head before embracing his grandmother.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- Australia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Michôd
- Writers
- David Michôd · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ben Mendelsohn · Andrew 'Pope' Cody; Joel Edgerton · Barry 'Baz' Brown; Guy Pearce · Detective Nathan Leckie; Jacki Weaver · Janine 'Smurf' Cody; Sullivan Stapleton · Craig Cody; Luke Ford · Darren Cody; James Frecheville · Joshua 'J' Daniel Cody; Laura Wheelwright · Nicole 'Nicky' Henry
- Genres
- crime; drama
- Themes
- loyalty; corruption; family; consequences of crime
- Tone and mood
- tense; gritty
- Premise and plot tags
- crime; neo-noir; organized crime
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by the Pettingill family and the 1988 Walsh Street police shootings.
- Reception
- The film received overwhelming critical acclaim, particularly for the performances of Jacki Weaver and Ben Mendelsohn, and was noted for its smart script and pacing.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 96% · scale: percentage · review count: 163; Metacritic · score: 83 · scale: 100 · review count: 33
- Awards and nominations
- National Board of Review Award · Best Supporting Actress · Won; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · Nominated; Golden Globe Award · Best Supporting Actress · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The screenplay was inspired by the real-life Pettingill family.; The film was named one of the top 50 films of the decade by The Guardian.; Quentin Tarantino listed it as his third favorite film of 2010.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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