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Animals

Name: Animals
Director: Marçal Forés
Released: 2012
Duration: 95 min

Representation Score

5.2/10

Fair

2012

PG-13

Director

Marçal Forés

Runtime

95 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Animals is a surreal drama that prioritizes psychological surrealism over overt identity politics. It succeeds by breaking down traditional storytelling and focusing on the subjective, internal lives of its characters. The film provides a non-Western perspective rooted in Brazilian cinema, offering an alternative to North American cinematic homogeneity. It uses fantasy to explore the boundaries of adolescent experiences. However, the film remains somewhat conservative in its representation. It lacks clear signs of queer relationships and does not provide specific evidence of systemic subversion of gender hierarchies or disability representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Animals have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film explores intense attraction between Pol and Ikari. However, it does not include clear signs of queer relationships or a direct criticism of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Animals portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on a shy male protagonist's inner world. Ikari serves as a catalyst that disrupts his usual routine and changes the balance of power.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Animals?

Good

As a Brazilian production, the film avoids casting actors based solely on their ethnicity. Instead, it features a diverse cast that reflects the region's demographics.

How does Animals represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative emphasizes personal imagination over established religious doctrines. It suggests a critique of strict social structures through contrasting worlds.

Does Animals include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no documented evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the characters.

Present on Screen

Provides a non-Western perspective by setting the narrative in the Brazilian cinematic landscape.
Breaks down traditional linear storytelling through a postmodern, surrealist approach.
Focuses on the internal, imaginative lives of characters rather than external clichés.

Limited or Absent

Lacks clear signs of queer relationships or direct criticism of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.
Does not provide evidence of systemic subversion of gender hierarchies.
Offers no documented representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Pol is a teenager with a seemingly calm life: he lives with his brother and is still in high school. However, Pol has a secret: Deerhoof, a cuddly teddy bear who thinks, moves around and with whom he shares his best moments. Life goes on as normal until the arrival of Ikari, an enigmatic student who seems to be hiding something. Pol is fascinated by his new classmate and attracted to the dark side he harbors. An inexplicable death and a series of strange events will transform the meek student's routine into a fantastic adventure which will take over their lives. Animals is a story of teenage love, of sacrifice, of the tragedy of two clashing worlds. A Tale in which the power of imagination blurs its borders with reality and where death turns out to be an ending as tempting as inevitable.

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