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American Animals

  • 2018
  • R
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
51K
YOUR RATING
American Animals (2018)
Four young men mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious heists in U.S. history.
Play trailer1:55
18 Videos
99+ Photos
HeistTrue CrimeBiographyCrimeDramaHistoryThriller

Four young men mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious heists in U.S. history.Four young men mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious heists in U.S. history.Four young men mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious heists in U.S. history.

  • Director
    • Bart Layton
  • Writers
    • Bart Layton
    • Jon Croker
    • Peter Straughan
  • Stars
    • Spencer Reinhard
    • Warren Lipka
    • Eric Borsuk
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    51K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Bart Layton
    • Writers
      • Bart Layton
      • Jon Croker
      • Peter Straughan
    • Stars
      • Spencer Reinhard
      • Warren Lipka
      • Eric Borsuk
    • 240User reviews
    • 195Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 10 wins & 22 nominations total

    Videos18

    Trailer #2
    Trailer 1:55
    Trailer #2
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:25
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:25
    Official Trailer
    American Animals (Opening Scene)
    Clip 4:17
    American Animals (Opening Scene)
    American Animals: Spencer (Featurette)
    Featurette 1:00
    American Animals: Spencer (Featurette)
    American Animals: Eric (Featurette)
    Featurette 1:00
    American Animals: Eric (Featurette)
    American Animals: Warren (Featurette)
    Featurette 1:01
    American Animals: Warren (Featurette)

    Photos121

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    + 115
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    Top cast90

    Edit
    Spencer Reinhard
    • The Real Spencer Reinhard
    Warren Lipka
    • The Real Warren Lipka
    Eric Borsuk
    • The Real Eric Borsuk
    Chas Allen
    Chas Allen
    • The Real Chas Allen
    Betty Jean Gooch
    • The Real Betty Jean 'BJ' Gooch
    • (as Betty Jean 'BJ' Gooch)
    Evan Peters
    Evan Peters
    • Warren
    Blake Jenner
    Blake Jenner
    • Chas
    Barry Keoghan
    Barry Keoghan
    • Spencer
    Jared Abrahamson
    Jared Abrahamson
    • Eric
    Eddie King
    Eddie King
    • Male Art Professor
    Karen Wheeling Reynolds
    • Female Art Professor
    • (as Karen Reynolds)
    James Rackley
    James Rackley
    • Active
    Drew Starkey
    Drew Starkey
    • Frat Boy
    Anthony J. Police
    Anthony J. Police
    • Man with Gun
    Ann Dowd
    Ann Dowd
    • Betty Jean 'BJ' Gooch
    Abigail Dolan
    Abigail Dolan
    • Special Collections Student
    Kevin L. Johnson
    Kevin L. Johnson
    • Scruffy Counterfeiter
    Mike Stoudt
    Mike Stoudt
    • Local Radio DJ
    • Director
      • Bart Layton
    • Writers
      • Bart Layton
      • Jon Croker
      • Peter Straughan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During filming the actors were not allowed to meet their real life counterparts because the director feared they would sympathise and/or play them in a certain light.
    • Goofs
      At the end of the movie, when it is explaining what each character is up to now, the text says that Charles Allen II is "writing a book on prison workout regimes." Some people regard this as a mistake and think the word should be "regimens". However, all major dictionaries recognize the use of "regime" to mean "regimen".
    • Quotes

      Warren Lipka: You're taught your entire life that what you do matters and that you're special. And that, there are things you can point towards that would... which'll show that you're special, that show you're different, when, in all reality, those things... don't matter. And you're not special.

    • Crazy credits
      Preceding the opening credits is this quote: "We must suppose that American animals...slowly migrated by successive generations from the outer world into the deeper and deeper recesses of the Kentucky caves." Attribution is to Charles Darwin, from his seminal work, "On the Origin of Species."
    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Amazing Movies You Missed This Spring (2018)
    • Soundtracks
      Sound of da Police
      Written by Showbiz (as Rodney Lemay), KRS-One (as Lawrence Parker), Eric Burdon, Chas Chandler (as Bryan Chandler), Alan Lomax

      Performed by KRS-One

      Published by Universal Music Publishing Ltd.

      Used by kind permission of Carlin Music Corp.

      By permission of Concord Music Publishing

      Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Inc. Licensed by Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.

    User reviews240

    Featured review

    Engaging from the start, and plays well as a drama/thriller

    Without knowing anything about the film beyond some structural elements I came into the film and was surprised by how quickly I was engaged by it. The mix of documentary footage and reenactment is not new or special, but it is effective in the early stages of this film of allowing the viewer to catch-up with the people quickly, while part of the reenactment builds tension well early on. As the film goes on, the documentary side steps into the background, but the reenactment side is more than up to the task. It links well to the real footage, adding weight, and the performances are convincing as young men in this situation.

    The tension surprised me - particularly as I knew this was part documentary, so I had not expected it to be as good a drama as it was. It perhaps is a bit functional and event driven, but this works well, and the conclusion suggests that motivations and feelings were not readily available. It is slickly filmed with good use of music, and a control of tone that draws in cool sequences with real life panic and fumbling. It doesn't quite satisfy in terms of the ending, with its lack of full answers and exploration, but it is engaging, well-made, and enjoyable in several different ways.
    • bob the moo
    • Mar 8, 2019
    • Permalink

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    FAQ19

    • How long is American Animals?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 14, 2018 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Instagram
    • Languages
      • English
      • Dutch
    • Also known as
      • Американські тварини
    • Filming locations
      • Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
    • Production companies
      • Film4
      • New Amsterdam Film Company
      • RAW
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,856,954
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $134,793
      • Jun 3, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,080,073
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2:39 : 1

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