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My Animal (film)

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My Animal
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJacqueline Castel
Written byJae Matthews
Produced by
  • Andrew Bronfman
  • Michael Solomon
Starring
CinematographyBryn McCashin
Edited by
  • Marc Boucrot
  • Jacqueline Castel
Music byAugustus Muller
Production
companies
  • Good Movies
  • Band with Pictures
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 22, 2023 (2023-01-22) (Sundance)
  • September 8, 2023 (2023-09-08)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

My Animal is a 2023 Canadian supernatural horror romance film directed by Jacqueline Castel in her feature directorial debut, and written by Jae Matthews. Starring Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Amandla Stenberg, Heidi von Palleske, Cory Lipman, Charles F. Halpenny, Harrison W Halpenny, Joe Apollonio, Scott Thompson, Dean McDermott, and Stephen McHattie, the film follows a young woman who is forced by her overbearing parents to keep her lycanthropy a secret, until she begins to fall in love with a figure skater.

My Animal had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, on January 22, 2023, and was released in select theaters on September 8, 2023.

Plot

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A young Heather attacking her mom Patti after she blacks out and has a nose bleed. Years later, Heather is at a hockey match with her father Henry, while her young brother plays. After the game, they head back home. While Heather watches TV with her younger brothers Cooper and Hardy, Patti asks Heather to go and buy some cigarettes and alcohol. That's where she meets Jonny, who is busy stealing alcohol and Heather drops the wine bottle, giving Jonny the perfect getaway. Jonny walks into the ice skating rink where Heather works and starts a conversation with her and they decide to spend the evening, until Heather realises that her nose is bleeding.

Heather goes home and Henry warns her that she's being careless. Heather shackles herself in handcuffs and sleeps. The next day, Heather, Cooper, and Hardy are practicing ice hockey in the morning. While the family is watching TV, Heather gets a call from Jonny who tells her she should come out with them. Heather tries on Henry's jacket and Patti tells her it makes her look like a 'dyke' and that when she was bored, she was meant to be her best friend and princess but instead she became closer to her dad and misses her. Patti then hands Heather her watch and tells her to be home by midnight. Heather is excited to be out of the house, gets into the car with Jonny and her friends and they drive off to the casino, while high on drugs.

At the casino, Heather starts tripping bad while Jonny dances. Her alarm rings at 11:30 and Heather tells everyone that she has to be back home by 12 and starts to panic and throws up blood. She leaves the group behind and starts running home. The scene shifts from her falling in the snow and then the point of view of a creature. The next morning, Patti finds Heather at the front door naked and wrapped in a blanket on the floor with bruises on her body. Patti proceeds to help Heather into the house.

Cast

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  • Bobbi Salvör Menuez as Heather, a girl who turns into a werewolf
  • Amandla Stenberg as Jonny, a figure skater and Heather's love interest
  • Heidi von Palleske as Patti, the overbearing mother of Heather
  • Stephen McHattie as Henry, the overbearing father of Heather
  • Cory Lipman as Rick
  • Charles F. Halpenny as Cooper, the younger brother of Heather
  • Harrison W Halpenny as Hardy, the younger brother of Heather and the twin brother of Cooper
  • Joe Apollonio as Otto
  • Dean McDermott as Coach Dutch
  • Scott Thompson as Marcel
  • Mitch Horowitz as a news reporter

Production

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In 2019, the project was selected to participate at the Frontières production market during the Fantasia International Film Festival.[1]

Principal photography took place from February to March 2022 in Timmins, Ontario, Canada.[2]

Release

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My Animal had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, on January 22, 2023, during the Midnight section.[3][4] Prior to the premiere, the worldwide distribution, excluding Canada, was acquired by Paramount Global Content Distribution.[5] The film was released in select theaters on September 8, 2023 and on digital formats on September 15.[6]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 55 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Jacqueline Castel's feature debut is an arresting queer and lycanthropic coming of age story that longs for more, but delivers just enough panache to satisfy."[7]

References

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  1. ^ Malyk, Lauren (June 14, 2019). "Seven Canadian titles set for Frontieres at Fantasia". Playback. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  2. ^ Chubak, Lydia (December 11, 2022). "Film shot in Timmins to be screened at Sundance Film Festival". CTV News. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Anderson, Derek (December 8, 2022). "Sundance Film Festival 2023 Midnight Category Includes Brandon Cronenberg's INFINITY POOL and Kenneth Dagatan's IN MY MOTHER'S SKIN". Daily Dead. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Kay, Jeremy (December 8, 2022). "Sundance unveils 2023 line-up". Screen International. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  5. ^ Galuppo, Mia (December 12, 2022). "Amandla Stenberg Sundance Horror Film 'My Animal' Lands at Paramount (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  6. ^ McAndrews, Mary Beth (August 18, 2023). "'My Animal' Trailer: A Queer Love Story Wrapped In Lycanthropy". Dread Central. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  7. ^ "My Animal". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
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