Overview"Nocturnal Animals" is a 2016 American neo-noir psychological thriller film written, produced, and directed by Tom Ford. The film's story is constructed around 3 stories: its primary story, a 2nd story including the complete reading of a novel within the film, and a third detailing flashbacks to earlier life phases of its characters. An adaptation of the 1991 novel "Tony and Susan" by Austin Wright, the film stars Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead roles, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, and Isla Fisher offering strong assistance.
PlotLos Angeles art gallery owner Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) gets a manuscript entitled 'Nocturnal Animals,' composed by her ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal), whom she left 20 years earlier. Captivated, she begins reading the novel and is quickly absorbed by the story, a violent thriller in which the character Tony Hastings (also played by Gyllenhaal) goes through an experience with his wife and daughter that turns terrible due to the hands of a group of criminals led by Ray Marcus (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).
Story StructureThe movie keeps up a non-linear narrative, linking the imaginary tragic story told in the unique with Susan's reality as she reflects on her previous relationship with Edward, the loss, regret, and dissatisfaction she feels in her existing life. As she dives deeper into Edward's novel, she recognizes that it functions as a symbolic tale of vengeance and a thinly-veiled critique of her past cruel actions, the book's violent story matching the figurative damage she had actually caused in Edward's life when they were together.
EfficiencyAmy Adams provides a compelling efficiency as Susan, embodying a susceptible, regretful female who is taken in by the thrills and horrors of Edward's novel and her past mistakes. Jake Gyllenhaal, in a double role as the sad Edward and the novel's desperate Tony, supplies a raw and mentally charged performance. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, playing the antagonistic Ray Marcus, delivers an especially chilling representation of a sociopath. Additionally, Michael Shannon shines as the creepy, determined investigator Bobby Andes in Edward's novel.
Design and Themes"Nocturnal Animals" equally, stunningly combines style and compound. Tom Ford's stylistic options, from the cinematography to the movie's style, reflect the surface area level sophistication of the art world that conceals its characters' much deeper regrets and broken relationships. The movie mostly checks out themes of vengeance, regret, and the damaging power of animosity.
ReceptionThe film received typically positive reviews from critics for its narrative design, visual aesthetic, and performances, particularly those of Adams, Gyllenhaal, and Shannon. It made numerous award elections consisting of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize.
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