Nocturnal Animals
Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams star in this romantic thriller from writer-director Tom Ford, based on the novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright.
"Susan (Adams) is a successful L.A. art gallery owner who wants for very little, yet she finds her paradise troubled by the frequent absences of her second husband (Armie Hammer), a handsome young doctor, due to his incessant travelling. Susan is rattled further when a manuscript arrives on her desk, written by her long-estranged first husband, Tony (Gyllenhaal).
"Alone, with her current husband away in New York, Susan opens the manuscript and is propelled into the fictional life of a teacher (also Gyllenhaal) whose drive to his summer house with his family is about to turn into a nightmare. As Susan gets deeper into the book, she is forced to examine her own past. Oscillating effortlessly between Susan's reality and the story within a story, Ford slowly and meticulously turns the screws, delving into suspense while keeping a firm hand on the disturbing drama." (Toronto International Film Festival)
- Director:
- Tom Ford ('A Single Man')
- Writer:
- Tom Ford
- Cast:
- Jake GyllenhaalAmy AdamsMichael ShannonAaron Taylor-JohnsonIsla FisherLaura LinneyArmie HammerKarl Glusman
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Aaron Yap
flicksFashion designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford knows how to grab our attention, I’ll give him that. His sophomore directorial effort, Nocturnal Animals, opens with what is probably the most dazzling curtain-raiser of the year: a slow-mo procession of flesh and glitter that plays like a provocative rebuke of the way the opening credits of the James Bond franchise have traditionally converted women’s bodies into stylised, seductive props.
Designer psychodrama
It feels odd to criticize a film pitched as a psychological thriller for being "cold" or "unpleasant" - these would seem to be prerequisites for the genre. But Nocturnal Animals is cold, unpleasant, and frustratingly close to being something better. Even with a cast this strong, I sensed some basic artificiality at the root of the enterprise, which made it...
For people who enjoys a dark thriller with great acting and story Nocturnal Animals is highly recommended.
Nocturnal Animal is directed by Tom Ford, it stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Michael Shannon. Amy Adams plays a wealthy and a sophisticated art gallery owner. She receives a novel from her ex-husband, which she interprets as a devastating story about a family, however as she reads on, she recalls the memories with her ex-husband...
Compelling but....
The pacing and cinematography were very moody and Eyes Wide Shut-esque. I though the film blended the story within the story well with both the current time tale and flash backs & that was an interesting twist. It was an intriguing film and had us discussing it afterwards, but maybe a little too intellectual and simply left me feeling cold.
Variety
pressTom Ford's first film since 'A Single Man' is another winner, an ambitious high-wire noir thriller with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal in an explosive tale of love, violence, and revenge.
Total Film
pressStyle is substance in Ford's second film. Unlike many puzzle-piece movies, it thrills on every level.
Time Magazine
pressThe movie feels glazed and remote, a surface with all the identifying fingerprints polished off.
The Guardian
pressThis is a terrifically absorbing thriller with that vodka-kick of pure malice.
Stuff
pressMovies like Nocturnal Animals make their mark on me by being provocative, artfully constructed and narratively compelling.
Screen Daily
pressTom Ford takes his stylish shears to Austin Wright's intricate 1993 novel Tony And Susan, cutting and splicing to re-assemble a gleaming array of images in a narrative Russian doll.
Hollywood Reporter
pressThe film once again demonstrates that Ford is both an intoxicating sensualist and an accomplished storyteller...
Flicks, Aaron Yap
flicksFashion designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford knows how to grab our attention, I’ll give him that. His sophomore directorial effort, Nocturnal Animals, opens with what is probably the most dazzling curtain-raiser of the year: a slow-mo procession of flesh and glitter that plays like a provocative rebuke of the way the opening credits of the James Bond franchise have traditionally converted women’s bodies into stylised, seductive props.
Variety
pressTom Ford's first film since 'A Single Man' is another winner, an ambitious high-wire noir thriller with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal in an explosive tale of love, violence, and revenge.
Total Film
pressStyle is substance in Ford's second film. Unlike many puzzle-piece movies, it thrills on every level.
Time Magazine
pressThe movie feels glazed and remote, a surface with all the identifying fingerprints polished off.
The Guardian
pressThis is a terrifically absorbing thriller with that vodka-kick of pure malice.
Stuff
pressMovies like Nocturnal Animals make their mark on me by being provocative, artfully constructed and narratively compelling.
Screen Daily
pressTom Ford takes his stylish shears to Austin Wright's intricate 1993 novel Tony And Susan, cutting and splicing to re-assemble a gleaming array of images in a narrative Russian doll.
Hollywood Reporter
pressThe film once again demonstrates that Ford is both an intoxicating sensualist and an accomplished storyteller...
Designer psychodrama
It feels odd to criticize a film pitched as a psychological thriller for being "cold" or "unpleasant" - these would seem to be prerequisites for the genre. But Nocturnal Animals is cold, unpleasant, and frustratingly close to being something better. Even with a cast this strong, I sensed some basic artificiality at the root of the enterprise, which made...
For people who enjoys a dark thriller with great acting and story Nocturnal Animals is highly recommended.
Nocturnal Animal is directed by Tom Ford, it stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Michael Shannon. Amy Adams plays a wealthy and a sophisticated art gallery owner. She receives a novel from her ex-husband, which she interprets as a devastating story about a family, however as she reads on, she recalls the memories with her...
Compelling but....
The pacing and cinematography were very moody and Eyes Wide Shut-esque. I though the film blended the story within the story well with both the current time tale and flash backs & that was an interesting twist. It was an intriguing film and had us discussing it afterwards, but maybe a little too intellectual and simply left me feeling cold.
Share