Nocturnal Animals (2016)

A wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.

Director:

Tom Ford

Writers:

Tom Ford (screenplay by), Austin Wright (novel)

Stars:

Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 150 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amy Adams	...	Susan Morrow
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Tony Hastings / Edward Sheffield
Michael Shannon	...	Bobby Andes
Aaron Taylor-Johnson	...	Ray Marcus
Isla Fisher	...	Laura Hastings
Ellie Bamber	...	India Hastings
Armie Hammer	...	Hutton Morrow
Karl Glusman	...	Lou
Robert Aramayo	...	Turk
Laura Linney	...	Anne Sutton
Andrea Riseborough	...	Alessia
Michael Sheen	...	Carlos
Bobbi Salvör Menuez	...	Samantha Morrow (as India Menuez)
Imogen Waterhouse	...	Chloe
Franco Vega	...	Driver

Storyline

A "story inside a story," in which the first part follows a woman named Susan who receives a book manuscript from her ex-husband, a man she left 20 years earlier, asking for her opinion. The second element follows the actual manuscript, called "Nocturnal Animals," which revolves around a man whose family vacation turns violent and deadly. It also continues to follow the story of Susan, who finds herself recalling her first marriage and confronting some dark truths about herself.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | loss of wife | female frontal nudity | abortion | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

When you love someone you can't just throw it away

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, menace, graphic nudity, and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Ford: [nude people shown in a somewhat surrealistic and dream-like manner at the beginning of the film] The film begins with nude, obese women dancing in slow motion. In A Single Man (2009), the film opens with a nude man floating aimlessly in the water.

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Goofs

Susan Morrow leaves Tony Morrow who is of graduate school age and meets Hutton who is presumably her age in the movie and they have a daughter who is now college aged. Hutton appeared to be much younger than Susan's character like in his early 30's which is true in real life. So he could not have a college age daughter with her.

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Quotes

Bobby Andes: So, I'll tell what we got, we had a attempted to round up at a supermarket and mall last night just before closing. Caught one of the guys, one got killed, one got away.
Tony Hastings: What you want me to do?
Bobby Andes: See if you can recognize the one we caught. You can look at the dead one too, although I don't really think it's necessary, we know who he is.
Tony Hastings: Who?
Bobby Andes: Steve Adams.

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Connections

Featured in Projector: Nocturnal Animals (2016)

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Soundtracks

Baudelaire
Written and Performed by Serge Gainsbourg
Courtesy of Mercury France
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

You can't have your cake...

What a marvellous film. Whilst the use of the flashbacks and the intertwining 'book within the movie' metaphor isn't that earth shattering, it's pulled off here immaculately and with fair precision.In a different film, it could have become easily muddled without the same handling. Ever regret messing up or squandering what could have been the love of your life at some point in your life? That's where this film smarts and hurts and reaches its true poignancy. I'd say it will touch a lot of nerves and whilst it can't be felt as a happy or uplifting film, it's skill and it's power to move is hard to deny. Is it a back roads revenge thriller, a morality tale, a sad torch song of unrequited and lost love...? Or maybe it just bears a single message: Love the one you're with.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 December 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tony and Susan

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$492,648, 20 November 2016

Gross USA:

$10,663,357

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,311,857

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, Fade to Black Productions, Artina Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1