American Animals: A True Story

Post by Emily McTyre

I’ve seen this movie twice now, and I loved it just as much, if not more, the second time around. American Animals is a story about four college students who attempted one of the most daring art heists in American history. It is a real story, though not necessarily or completely true.

This film is unique in that it is a blend of a number of genres. The story itself is a thriller drama, but director Bart Layton ties the structure of a narrative and documentary piece together as a base for the film. The story bounces back and forth between the plot and commentary from the real men involved in the “Transy Book Heist” of 2004. Sometimes they were even a part of the narrative, interacting with the characters like a ghost from their past or future, depending on whose perspective you’re coming from.

It is a complex but refreshing set up for a story. The only other time I have seen something like this was in I, Tonya (2017). The narrative story was interspersed with documentary-style interviews with the characters as they are today. Still though, all of those characters were portrayed by a hired cast. Margot Robbie played Tonya Harding in the 1990’s and in the interview segments.

With American Animals, though, we get sucked out of the story’s universe when the real Spencer Reinhard’s face appears on screen instead of Barry Keoghan’s or Warren Lipka's instead of Evan Peter's. It makes you realize that this is a true story that had (and still does) have real consequences. People were hurt and changed by this event.

At the base of it, the story not only concentrates on the heist, but also on the characters’ reasons for doing something so audacious. How did they rationalize the crime? How are they coping with it now? And we were able to hear an explanation from the real people, not just what was scripted for their caricatures.

The direction, cinematography, performances, production design — everything — is handled with such care and thoroughness. Little nuances in the soundscape of the picture can pull you in. There were moments where I caught my heart racing and my hands sweating. It is such a captivating and mind-boggling story that you don’t want to miss.