In this episode of the FilmWonk podcast, Glenn and Daniel review David Michôd’s “Animal Kingdom”, starring Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton, James Frecheville, and Guy Pearce. (20:00)

[may contain some NSFW language]

FilmWonk rating: 8.5 out of 10

Show notes:
• Spoilers begin at 10:30/20:00.
  
• Music for this episode is a selection from the brilliantly bleak and haunting Animal Kingdom score, from composer Antony Partos.
  
• Addition [SPOILER FOR REAL LIFE]: We allude to this, but don’t actually mention the police shootings near the beginning of the film, which were loosely based on the Walsh Street police shootings that occurred in Melbourne in 1988.
  
• Additional thought regarding Michôd’s claustrophobic direction: As the film went on, the tight camera shots constantly ratcheted up the tension by acting as a framing device for the characters’ vulnerability. The closer the character sits to the edges of the frame as the film goes on, the more likely it seems that at any moment, they could be shot dead from off-screen.
  
• Animal Kingdom is out now in limited release, expanding to more theaters each week. Click here to find out when it’ll be playing in your city.
  
• If you’re so inclined, stick around at the end for a blooper!

Listen above, or download: Animal Kingdom (right-click, save as)