In my movie reviews, I usually try to avoid any spoilers that are not in the trailer or the first half hour of the movie. You can watch the trailer at the end of this post.
American Animals is directed by Bart Layton and stars Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Udo Kier and Ann Dowd.
American Animals is a heist film about four privileged white college students (well one is not a student) who plan to steal valuable rare books from the Transylvania University Library in Kentucky in 2004. The theft is planned by Warren (Peters) and Spencer (Keoghan), who recruit Chas (Jenner) and Eric (Abramson) to help pull off the crime.
This film's plot is derived from actual events. Is it a true story? The titles in the beginning of the film first claim it is not based on a true story, then claim it is. It's a great way to start this jumble of events recalled differently by each of the main characters. The film mixes scripted drama with interviews with the real people whom the actors portray. It calls into question the expectations audiences have with a movie based on a true story as well as the assumptions about truth in a documentary film. By mixing these clearly conflicting interviews, changing what is reenacted based on who is narrating, it becomes clear that neither format is going to get at the truth.
The movie continues a style of mixing documentary and drama as previously seen in films like American Splendor, Bernie and I, Tonya. It is very much like I, Tonya except they used the actual interview footage.
I think it's safe to say that they do not get away with the crime, as we learn early on in the interviews. The robbery is a terrible idea, fueled by the plots of heist films these guys had watched growing up. They watch films like Rififi and Heist to plan out the robbery. They give themselves code names such as Mr. Yellow, Mr. Black and Mr. Pink, as they had seen done in Reservoir Dogs. One early scene shows Warren and Spencer stealing meat from a restaurant, which plays out much like the scene in Fight Club where Tyler and the Narrator steal fat from a liposuction clinic. It's as if Spencer wants to think of himself as a similar character being pushed by Warren to reinvent his life.
They seem driven by a need to change their lives. Spencer is an artist, but he is not starving. Warren has an athletic scholarship, but he doesn't show up for practice. Their lives are quite easy and yet they think they deserve even more. Their crime is not driven by any sort of economic desperation. Chas is a business success, an entrepreneur who bought his first rental property as a teenager. They had a future ahead of them but it didn't provide the excitement they saw in the movies.
Their robbery plot is elaborate as they disguise themselves as old men, because Spencer believes nobody notices the elderly. Of course, why would old men, who are clearly not part of the faculty, be hanging out at a college library? It might not make sense realistically, but theatrically it seems like something they would see in the plot of a film. And it works great in this film, especially for marketing and previews. But when someone actually tries a heist like they see in films, it doesn't always go as planned.
This reminds me of something that happened in the neighborhood I grew up in. This was after I moved out of my mom's house. A kid I grew up with apparently still lived there with his parents and decided to rob the McDonald's around the corner...using a grenade. Was it a real grenade? Of course not. Upon walking into the store, he slipped and fell on the freshly mopped floor. He pulled out the grenade and asked for money, but the employees called his bluff and phoned the police. He ran outside and sped off in his car. With the police chasing him, he crashed into a telephone pole. He fled from the car and climbed a fence, then fell and broke his leg. The cops arrested him. I hope they never make a movie about this idiot.
As for American Animals, these characters are also idiots who think they are special because their parents gave them a privileged life. Like in Fight Club they started to realize they weren't special and were just doomed to someday occupy an office cubicle. They want to be artists and writers but just being able to draw or write clear sentences does not make anyone a success. Perhaps it is ironic that they steal art rather than money or jewels.
They are right that the American suburban dream does not have much to offer. However, they plot to seek even more. What would they do with the money if successful? Would they have ever been able to sell the books anyway? They're not trying to escape the American dream but rather just win the race, however they need to get ahead.
I came into this film knowing nothing except that it was about an art heist. I left it pleasantly surprised. I give it 9/10.