A Feminist Western Drenched in Fear

Read Time:5 Minute, 29 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Animale
–

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Year Released: 2024, 2025
Runtime: 1h 38m
Director(s): Emma Benestan
Writer(s): Emma Benestan, Julie Debiton
Cast: Oulaya Amamra, Damien Rebattel, Vivien Rodriguez, Claude Chaballier, Elies-Morgan Admi-Bensellam, Pierre Roux, Marinette Rafai, Renaud Vinuesa
Where to Watch: premieres on VOD & digital August 8, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: ANIMALE sinks its teeth into familiar genre territory but refuses to follow a predictable path. It emerges as a personal horror tale about identity, transformation, and the hidden violence embedded in tradition. Filmmaker Emma Benestan doesn’t just challenge expectations—she tears them open with a protagonist whose body and fate unravel with clarity.

Set in the Camargue, a rugged region in southern France renowned for its non-lethal bullfighting tradition, the film centers on Nejma (Oulaya Amamra), a determined young woman striving to prove herself in a sport traditionally dominated by men. But ANIMALE isn’t content to stop at commentary on gender. What starts as a sports drama soon veers into haunting territory, laced with myth and dread, as Nejma’s transformation parallels the violence unfolding around her.

From the outset, it’s clear Benestan is working in a deliberately hybrid mode. The bullfighting arena is a stage not just for physical skill but for deep-seated power dynamics, and Nejma’s quest for acceptance becomes a crucible for broader metaphors. She’s not just trying to fit in—she’s rewriting the rules of who gets to exist in this world and what it costs. Her metamorphosis is neither triumphant nor grotesque; it's somewhere in between, grounded in discomfort and pain. The film frames her not as a supernatural anomaly but as a political act—disturbing, symbolic, and earned.

Amamra anchors the film with a performance that is both restrained and feral. There’s an honesty in the way she carries Nejma’s bruised confidence, and as her world twists into something more monstrous, Amamra doesn't play into the spectacle. She lets the changes emerge slowly, through posture, breath, and gaze. It’s a lived-in portrayal that matches the film’s tone even when the story descends into allegorical horror.

Benestan shows remarkable control over ANIMALE’s shifts. Her influences—ranging from John Carpenter to Jacques Tourneur—are present but never overwhelming. There's a confidence in how she lets the film breathe, even in its more disturbing moments. Her decision to avoid sexualizing Nejma’s body is a notable departure from genre norms. Here, the physical is not eroticized—it’s vulnerable, and often terrifying.

Ruben Impens’s cinematography captures the beauty of Camargue with precision. Whether in moonlit fields or sun-bleached arenas, the film looks like a dream tipping into nightmare. The way the land is framed—both expansive and claustrophobic—makes it feel alive, indifferent, and perhaps just as capable of violence as the humans inhabiting it. Complementing this is Yan Wagner’s score, which adds unease without drawing attention to itself. The music doesn’t guide emotion—it echoes it.

What elevates ANIMALE beyond genre imitation is its refusal to portray Nejma as either a mere victim or savior. Her power comes with ambiguity; her violence isn't sanitized or fully justified. Benestan leans into that discomfort, asking viewers to sit with it rather than offering a resolution. If there's one aspect that may divide audiences, it’s the film’s unflinching commitment to withholding easy answers. By the time the final transformation occurs—physically, emotionally, spiritually—we’re not left with a hero but something far murkier. And that's exactly the point.

A few side characters, although played with authenticity, feel underdeveloped, and some viewers may find the film’s pacing or minimalist horror elements too subtle. But ANIMALE doesn’t operate with jump scares or gore—it wields metaphor like a scalpel. What might appear simple on the surface quickly evolves into a deeply considered commentary on rage, trauma, and reclamation.

The film's visuals are worth lingering over. Benestan and Impens utilize shadows and natural lighting not only to create mood but also to reflect the psychological unraveling of the protagonist. There’s a haunting clarity to the way they capture transformation without relying on overt special effects. You feel the change before you see it. The result is an experience that’s as much sensory as it is emotional, one that echoes films like IT FOLLOWS or CAT PEOPLE in its intimacy.

At the heart of the film is a question the director poses repeatedly: what happens when we stop asking women just to survive, and instead let them become something unrecognizable? ANIMALE doesn’t suggest that metamorphosis is salvation. It argues that it might be the price. And that, more than any of the horror tropes it plays with, is what lingers.

For those expecting a creature feature or a horror with easy thrills, ANIMALE may be a slow burn with more smoke than fire. But for viewers willing to sit with the discomfort, to feel the scrape of sand and hear the breath of the bull just offscreen, it offers something far more potent—a howl that starts as a whisper.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/overlyhonestr for more reviews.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.

[photo courtesy of FILM MOVEMENT]

DISCLAIMER:
At Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.

Amazon Affiliate Links:
Additionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.