Our take
Three half-Puerto-Rican, half-white boys grow up in suburban New York in this personal movie shot on stunning 16mm film.
This movie follows the boys, often literally with the camera behind their backs, as their parents’ relationship goes through turmoil. The kids are often left unattended and have to fend for themselves. The beauty of We the Animals is illustrating how they grow-up swinging between the angry character of their father and the protective nature of their mother.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time, and I think I loved it so much because I was able to relate and feel for the main character (one of the boys). I really hope you will too.
What it won
Spirit Awards
4 noms
Sundance
1 win
Nat. Board of Review
1 win
The story
Manny, Joel and Jonah tear their way through childhood and push against the volatile love of their parents. As Manny and Joel grow into versions of their father and Ma dreams of escape, Jonah, the youngest, embraces an imagined world all his own.
Elsewhere
"In every scene, We the Animals evokes not only the specificity of that world but the deep-seated challenges of escaping it."
— Eric Kohn
"This movie is so gorgeous, it even makes drone footage look ethereal rather than pedestrian."
— Monica Castillo
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is based in the US and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.
beautiful film, the best I’ve seen in awhile, tinder and dreamy and showcases childhood as I remember it. feeling different and rejected from other kids friends or siblings is shown perfectly.