There's something really special about the heist genre. There's an element or urgency and caution when they're done right that gives the viewer a truly unbeatable thrill. But what if it wasn't just a movie? What if it wasn't just based on a true story, but actually was one? That's where Bart Layton's American Animals comes in. It chronicles the attempted theft of priceless books by four college students. As I (and the film's opening credits) said though, this isn't just based on a true story. It's not a fictionalised account of what happened, it's a docudrama that splices its story with interviews from the real guys, and the people in their lives. American Animals is a really interesting take on the heist movie. It kind of flips what I was saying about the genre on its head. There's a definite thrill to be had here, but it throws the finesse of something like Heat or Rififi out of the window in favour of something a lot more visceral and uncomfortable, but more on that in a bit.
The way the film weaves talking heads with reconstructions is clever and deft. Because this actually happened, there's a grim feeling of reality to the whole thing. Seeing the four guys telling this story is just as thrilling as seeing their fictional counterparts carry out the heist, and that's the film's greatest strength. Layton ensures that you're never distanced from the experience and puts you right in there. He does this by showing you these guys, and have them tell you how it actually happened. Or how it didn't. Each of the guys involved have a different account of how it all went down, and their stories regularly conflict onscreen. That's one of the hallmarks of the film's style, and also gives it a fairly strong sense of humour. Even in the movie's grittier moments, there's fun to be had here. The tone bounces effortlessly between unbearable tension and undeniable enjoyment, before coming down on the audience like a ton of bricks with that devastating ending.
This is helped by the performances, especially Barry Keoghan as the apprehensive but still morbidly curious Spencer, and Evan Peters as the unpredictable wildcard, Warren. Both of these performances are really impressive, and they do a really good job of portraying how the real Spencer and Warren tell the story. Evan Peters is especially good as Warren. He's got this irrepressible mischief in him, but he's not a bad guy. None of them are. They're just bored. They all just wanted something exciting to happen to them, and none more so than Warren.
That's another thing that makes Layton's approach special. He never tells the audience how to feel about the story, or the guys involved. Instead, he shows you as many dimensions of the four as he can, and trusts you as the viewer to make your own mind up. As the film goes on, you see these guys from every angle, and by the end, it's actually kind of hard not to pity them. Especially when Layton uses the real weight and impact of their crime to really fortify that jawdropping ending.
And speaking of jawdropping. The heist scenes are unbelievable. I mentioned heist movies like Heat and Rififi earlier on, because the idea of heist films is something that really ties into the movie. See, the four guys have a plan, but they're far from professionals. So they learn by watching movies. It's the amateurism of their heist that makes it so riveting. They're completely ready on a purely technical level, but totally unprepared for the traumatic effects that this crime is going to have on them. They quickly realise that their plan to not hurt anyone is kind of impossible, and it's this naivety that ends up doing them in. Watching this unfold is almost unbearable, but it's also impossible to look away from. What's especially effective is seeing how it affected the real guys, and that's what resonates here.
American Animals is a truly excellent film. From first minute to last, Bart Layton's film is a breathless thriller with shockingly real impact. There's no glamour to this one, and it definitely isn't an easy watch, but it's definitely worth it for how heart stoppingly tense the whole thing is. This tension is combined with really hard hitting emotion and a thought provoking style, and the result is truly special. This is heart in mouth stuff, blending documentary style with relentlessly raw direction, and ultimately becomes a thought provoking discussion on morality and consequences. Outstanding.
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