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We the Animals

We the Animals

2018

R

Director

Jeremiah Zagar

Runtime

93 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Manny, Joel and Jonah tear their way through childhood and push against the volatile love of their parents. As Manny and Joel grow into versions of their father and Ma dreams of escape, Jonah, the youngest, embraces an imagined world all his own.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.2/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. The story focuses strictly on the familial and sensory experiences of the protagonists within a traditional domestic structure.

Gender Representation

Fair

The narrative offers a nuanced look at emotional labor and interpersonal dynamics. It avoids idealized domesticity, presenting a realistic and often chaotic depiction of maternal and paternal roles.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The film excels with an authentic portrayal of a Mexican rural setting. By utilizing a predominantly Mexican cast, it disrupts the Western-centric gaze through a non-Anglo-Saxon perspective.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The sensory-driven approach favors subjective experience over rigid, moralistic storytelling. It avoids polished, idealized depictions of family, focusing instead on the elemental connection between humanity and nature.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities driving the narrative. The focus remains on the sensory experiences of the children and their parents.

Strengths

  • Authentic portrayal of a Mexican rural setting and working-class socioeconomic environment.
  • Disrupts the Western-centric gaze by providing high agency to a predominantly Mexican cast.
  • Avoids idealized domesticity through a realistic, chaotic depiction of parental roles.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks explicit LGBTQ+ representation or narratives centered on non-cisnormative identities.
  • Does not feature prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities.
  • Lacks overtly political or anti-capitalist frameworks within its narrative structure.

AI Analysis

We the Animals is a sensory-driven exploration of childhood that finds its greatest strength in its cultural authenticity. By centering a Mexican working-class environment and utilizing a local cast, the film successfully moves away from a Western-centric perspective. The film's refusal to adhere to sanitized, structured storytelling allows for a raw and unrefined look at rural life. This impressionistic style provides a sophisticated viewing experience that prioritizes emotional truth over traditional plot-driven morality. However, the film remains limited in its engagement with specific identity politics. It does not feature LGBTQ+ narratives or address disability, focusing instead on the elemental and domestic struggles of the central family.

How are these scores produced? →

Featured in

  • Racial & Ethnic Representation in Drama

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