My Animal

What's with all the hate? I loved this film. It reminded me of Near Dark meets Ginger Snaps with its low budget Indie film raw grittiness. I found it original with great visuals and a fantastic musical score that will take you back in time with its sultry retro vibes. Trust me, I'm a tough crowd, so give it a try because there's a high chance you might just love it a little too. I can imagine this gathering a small cult following such is it's nature. True horror fans will certainly appreciate this particular offering.... Ps, there's a post credits bit, even though it's very little it might make you smile.

Right, well I was under the impression that I would be in for a werewolf movie of sorts, as I sat down to watch the 2023 movie "My Animal" from writer Jae Matthews and director Jacqueline Castel. However, I have to admit that I hadn't even heard about the movie prior to sitting down and watching it, so I didn't exactly know what I was getting into here.

This movie failed to capture my interest, especially since the movie's narrative was slow paced, the visuals were sort of surreal, and it wasn't exactly the type of werewolf movie that I had hoped for. And I have to admit that the way that writer Jae Matthews concocted the script and storyline just didn't appeal much to my liking.

The only familiar face on the cast list for me was Stephen McHattie. The acting performances in "My Animal" were actually fair enough, despite the fact that the movie's plot and script utterly failed to entertain me.

Visually, then director Jacqueline Castel didn't deliver a movie that tickled me in the right places.

My rating of "My Animal" lands on a two out of ten stars. And this is definitely not a movie that I will pick up a second time.

This film was only an hour and forty-three minutes but it felt like three hours. As someone who has been a youth in rural Canada I deeply resonated with the depiction of the bleakness and dullness of life in small northern town. It was hopeless and boring as a youth, and it didn't make for a very entertaining film.

The acting was great, but too many long drawn out fantasy sequences that didn't really add to the film. It looked good. I liked the lighting and the setting, but...nothing happens. It needed more story and fewer music videos.

It was tagged as horror and romance, but it did not have enough of either. It had barely any of either really.

Finally, why is Canada only allowed to make werewolf movies now?

This was an excellent movie. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but it absolutely delivered. The pacing was interesting, like the idea was to make you focus so much on the relationships between the characters that you forget the lead has a problem most young adults probably won't encounter.

The atmosphere is brilliant and dreadful. The plot is absolutely wild, and the acting was far, far better than it had any right to be. I got serious Meryl Streep vibes from Bobbi Salvör Menuez.

If you're considering it, give it a chance. Some of the scenes were a bit weird but overall, I really enjoyed it.

My Animal is a movie about a subject matter I already like. Yet I was completely uninterested and bored immediately and throughout. I even stuck it out to the end in hopes of at least one cool scene or even a moment. But nope, it's just nothing, through and through.

There is barely enough substance for a short story, let alone a feature length film. Character motivations and decisions seem random and unearned. And the messaging is heavy-handed and obvious.

The only positive I can think of is the general tone, driven by the music and some cool trippy visuals. But that isn't nearly enough to warrant the time it takes to watch this movie. (1 viewing, 12/13/2023)