It is one of those movies that leaves it up to the viewers to interpret its meaning. Will leave you pondering about what you just saw even after it ends... and maybe that's what it sets out to do.
Gyllenhaal is on top form here.
"Nocturnal Animals" is that rare movie that leaves you feeling all kind of different emotions and thoughts. Disturbing is one and the other is riveting. Beautifully shot, but grimy and dusty to look at. And it's easily one of my favorite movies of 2016.
The performances from everyone was terrific and I do mean all the cast. Amy Adams is an excellent actress and here she once again proves that. I love the little details to her character that gives it more depth and with the long break of silence that boils up her emotions. Adams dose it again and she will continue blowing my socks off.
Michael Shannon and Jake Gyllenhall are one of the best working actors of this generation. And in this movie, both of them deliver such a raw and grounded performance that every actor would dream of playing.
But the real stand out for me has to go to an actor that I've be heavily criticizing for years now. Because if you asked me about a year ago of what I think of this actor, I would say he's one of the worst actors ever. Very one note and bland. He was the worst part of "Kick-Ass", "Albert Nobbs", "Kick-Ass 2", "Godzilla", and "Avengers 2". But after seeing him "Nocturnal Animals", I take back everything I said about Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He was incredible in this movie and the performance itself stuck with me for days. I mean, Gyllenhaal, Shannon, and Adams are great as always, but I was honestly more impress with Taylor-Johnson more, as he was unrecognizable in the role.
By the way, this is Tom Ford's second movie and that alone is just mind-boggling. Ford brilliantly puts you in the nightmarish situations of the characters and makes it look effortless. I had a David Lynch and Hitchcock vibe from this. The style, suspense, and the substance feels very similar from those directors, but it's use here to craft paralleling storylines of both fiction and non-fiction.
It's been a while since I watched this movie and I was genuinely surprised that I thought I liked it. I mean, I'm also the first to admit to be easily distracted by beautiful cinematography, music scores and actors I enjoy seeing (Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson really are exceptional and hold at least half of the movie together with their acting!) and I think those three aspects are what I remember liking, because the plot is.. questionable on many different levels.
For me personally this is also a great example for how much I learned in the past couple of years about portrayal of violence against women or how rape/murder of women are used as plot devices - and frankly, I don't want to see it anymore, especially when it's done in such a glorifying, male-gazey and sexualized way.
The most infuriating thing in this movie though, is the fact that it implies Susan (Amy Adams) deserves to be punished and unhappy because she divorced her husband (Jake Gyllenhaal) and unknowingly to him aborted their child. And then nineteen years later her then ex-husband sends her the manuscript for his novel in which he shows how her choices/decisions back then made him feel by comparig it to the rape and murder of his fictional wife and daughter?
Anyway, I'm kind of curious to read the 1993 novel this movie is based on ("Tony and Susan" by Austin Wright), just to see how everything is handled in there..
It's the morning after and I still don't know what to feel about this film. It was much heavier than I was expecting, that's for sure!
The theme is dark and powerful and the parallels drawn are interesting.
Was the book and the journey it took Susan on some kind of belated 'punishment' for aborting his child all those years ago? Was it just art to share with her to show her that he could do it? Standing her up at the end implies the former but who can really say. It's always nice to watch a film outside the hollywood template but did this one try too hard?
Like the art in Susan's gallery it's all subjective. All I know is it took me on a journey and drew me in successfully. The tension in that first section of the book was overwhelming. Incredible acting as always from Amy; Gyllenhaal, Shannon and Taylor-Johnson were stand out too though. I loved the way the director frequently framed Amy with a solid black background or with the red of her office. Some really striking visuals for her scenes.
Could have been a really great movie, but do you know the story about the soufflé who collapse ?
This movie is like poetry. Looks and sounds great but I don't get it.
Director:
Tom Ford: other well known movies include "A Single Man"
Articles to read after watching:
http://www.thisisbarry.com/single-post/2017/03/29/Nocturnal-Animals-2016-Movie-Plot-Ending-Explained
Plot Complexity:
Medium to Hard
Best Movie Quote:
When you love someone you have to be careful with it, you might never get it again.
Nocturnal Animals is your favorite worst nightmare. Dark twisted semi-violent story keeps u on edge, with top notch acting.
All those vivid visuals plus somewhat kubrick-ish scenes makes me wish my eyes would stop blinking for a whole two hours just so i don't miss a thing
From the first shot, this movie showed it was trying too hard. The story had plenty of potential, and yet I never capitalizes on any of it.
If the movie had just been Edwards book, I think this would have been an inciteful and interesting story.
The acting was exceptional even when the characters were flat. Ultimately, I rated it so poorly because; even though I felt like the movie was underperforming for a large portion of it, I hung in there because the meta story was truely captivating. And then the movie completely screwes you over with the most garbage ending/payoff ever.
a revenge of an Arthist
The first movie in a very long time that I could not bring myself to finish watching. Usually, even if I´m loosing focus on a picture, I let it play out. Not this time. There was nothing in it for me. And since I did not remember why I wanted to watch this in the first place I went back to the trailer which paints a very different picture of the story. So be aware and don´t be fooled.
This movie was a little sad and creepy.
Good, but it feels a little unsatisfying.
I needed more of an entry point with the ideas this film’s trying to tackle, there are no clear breadcrumbs left anywhere where you’re asked to think deeper as a viewer. Most of the film is fairly concrete, and then it ends with this abstract, ambiguous ending that feels a little out of place given the film you’ve just seen. I get that he’s trying to say something about the artistic process and how it’s influenced by real life, but it doesn’t feel pointed. Or maybe it’s simply not as deep as it thinks it is, I don’t know. It made me think a little more about it afterwards, but the movie needed to spend more time setting up its themes during the runtime.
I also think the pacing’s a little off, which is mostly due to the scene length being inconsistent.
Besides that, this is definitely a recommendation. It’s very well acted and shot, and it still works fairly well as a drama/thriller. Michael Shannon and Jake Gyllenhaal are amazing, and it definitely hits some satisfying emotional beats. It just doesn’t quite nail the conceptual stuff.
6.5/10
the movie in the movie is somehow much better made compared to its real-life equivalence - it’s a fun movie to watch, but Tom Ford struggles to make the two worlds intertwine
Of course, you can look for a second bottom of this story, but first of all it is a story about revenge like you can find a lot. +1 for the role of Michael Shannon.
Everything would be better if the movie focused on that book story, but no. This movie is trying to have deeper meaning and yes, it has it, but it was so boring. Did not work for me well.
Great soundtrack use to create a stylish atmosphere. Makes sense to me thinking the book as a metaphor to the relationship with Susan. Ray is a representation for Susan since she "killed" his daughter and his wife (when she left). Killing Ray at the end is like killing his love (dumped her at restaurant).
Boring and absolutely not engaging, the narration was too slow, and very artificially built. Quite hard to understand the behavior of the characters involved.
"Nocturnal Animals" is that rare movie that leaves you feeling all kind of different emotions and thoughts. Disturbing is one and the other is riveting. Beautifully shot, but grimy and dusty to look at. And it's easily one of my favorite movies of 2016.
The performances from everyone was terrific and I do mean all the cast. Amy Adams is an excellent actress and here she once again proves that. I love the little details to her character that gives it more depth and with the long break of silence that boils up her emotions. Adams dose it again and she will continue blowing my socks off.
Michael Shannon and Jake Gyllenhall are one of the best working actors of this generation. And in this movie, both of them deliver such a raw and grounded performance that every actor would dream of playing.
But the real stand out for me has to go to an actor that I've be heavily criticizing for years now. Because if you asked me about a year ago of what I think of this actor, I would say he's one of the worst actors ever. Very one note and bland. He was the worst part of "Kick-Ass", "Albert Nobbs", "Kick-Ass 2", "Godzilla", and "Avengers 2". But after seeing him "Nocturnal Animals", I take back everything I said about Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He was incredible in this movie and the performance itself stuck with me for days. I mean, Gyllenhaal, Shannon, and Adams are great as always, but I was honestly more impress with Taylor-Johnson more, as he was unrecognizable in the role.
By the way, this is Tom Ford's second movie and that alone is just mind-boggling. Ford brilliantly puts you in the nightmarish situations of the characters and makes it look effortless. I had a David Lynch and Hitchcock vibe from this. The style, suspense, and the substance feels very similar from those directors, but it's use here to craft paralleling story-lines of both fiction and non-fiction.
I literally sat in my room for over an hour after this ended completely mindfucked. The layers of meaning and interpretation you can glean from the ending and the themes throughout are endless—because we impose a bit of our own experiences into every piece of art we consume. That’s the brilliance of this film and what makes it a true psychological thriller. Kudos also to the amazing performances from the cast—especially Michael Shannon.
Such a incredibly dark movie. The opening credits almost made me stop watching but I'm glad I continued because this movie is terrific. It's frightening yet I needed to know how it'd end. I thought the story and its plot were very well thought out and I truly admire the performances of this amazing cast.
Excellent performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, as always.
I really liked this movie a lot. It was very well crafted, stylish, shocking at times and with a very heartbreaking story at its core. The performances by Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon were brilliant and powerful.
But maybe next time spare us this very weird intro? Thanks.
Masterfully crafted and powerful movie.
another day, another movie by tom ford with abel korzeniowski composing that leaves me wondering what the fuck i just watched and how the hell to classify the way it made me feel. i mean, obviously it's an amazing movie. just not necessarily a ride my emotional processing skills were prepared for. jake was definitely my favorite of the cast but aaron taylor johnson did a great job and gave a performance light years beyond the roles he usually executes. amy was also amazing, playing a woman at times impossible to empathize with and at other times truly heartbreaking. the cinematography and score were perfect, duh. there were a couple of jump scares that worked surprisingly well and set the tone for the high intensity emotions involved in each situation, so they didn't feel out of place at all. most importantly, though, armie hammer was disgustingly beautiful during every single moment he spent on screen. an actual movie critic could probably say something to the way everything was filmed and how it made for a stark contrast between grit and polish, youth and age, and so on -- but i definitely have no leg to stand on there, so i stick to what i know and that's 'damn, armie hammer is a work of art'
this movie is about Loneliness and coping with inner demons you have collected in your life from doing harm to other people. I think the supporting act from the detective with cancer was outstanding. there are many storyline you can choose to identify yourself with. There is something for everyone in this movie.
It is also a movie with a warning to people being selfish.
as it screams the message that what happened to her, could happen to you. So be careful.
It takes certainly more than half an hour to get sucked in to the story and understand it. But I hope you take time to absorb the first part, to understand the second.
This movie blowed my fucking mind away.But finally i found it great.7,5/10
It was a beautifully pedestrian thriller whose shock value is wholly implied.
Deep, confusing and intense. A such good movie.
This movie was a fucking train wreck. It just kept pissing me off, and for some reason I still watched it to the end. I wish I hadn't.
This film fucked me the whole way up. Shook. Shooken to the core.
Tries to sell something big, but in the end it's nothing...
this movie is soo messed on soo many levels............. i LOVED IT. amazingly beautiful, got me on the edge the whole movie. it's really Magnificent! BEAUTIFUL!!!
I really enjoyed this movie but the ending left me a little bit unsatisfied. However, after watching an explanation of it, it makes a lot more sense to me. Great acting, great cinematography and distinct differences between the settings of Texas, Los Angeles, and New York. Also that one scene with the baby monitor had me so scared I couldn't move.
An enjoyable film, but less a puzzle than many people seem to think it is. Some people are confused by the ending, but the clues are in the film. In some ways, I don't think the film is as clever as it seems to think it is, especially as one key plot thread is shoehorned in towards the end of the film. Watch the film carefully, get to know the real and fictional character Gyllenhaul is playing, and you should have no confusion at the film's end.
Melancholy in Many Points and Beautiful. it Should've been indicated as Best picture.
One of the most original films i have seen in a long time. It evokes a spectrum of emotions - this you will undrstand when watching.superb.
Nocturnal is a beautifully horrible movie. It gives you the story that you want but not the finish that you need.
I read online afterwards that it contains many clues. I didn't notice them and still enjoyed it greatly.
Many hate it and many adore it. A sign for a good movie to me. I had both feelings.
If you like Gyllenhaal and his choice of movies u should watch this one.
Michael Shannon - amazing character here.
If you like movies to think about, and that make you work for it - watch it. At night time.
If you're into a quiet and simple staring- keep this one for another day.
Very recommend.
The first part of the novel part is possibly the tensest scene from any movie of I've seen from 2016. Reminded me of the one scene in 'Room' from 2015 (when it comes to the tenseness of the scene, not story-wise).
And I wasn't ready for that jumpscare at all. But I really liked the movie. It is very beautiful and tells an intersting story with great actors.
Yehh this is an intruiging film, loved it!
Love that movie.. Really moving with great acting all the way and the story from the book she's reading won't let you go.. Strange ending though
Watching back to back to back Gyllenhaal thrillers was pretty fun! This one was way different from Source Code and Nightcrawler but in the same realm of quality. I will certainly be watching this again and I enjoyed it as much as the first time I watched it!
Rating: 4/5 - 85% - Would Recommend
Susan's face harden once more into a mask of sadness. She finally understands the book as an elaborate act of revenge, and that dedicating it to her wasn't a compliment. She knows now that he'll never forgive her, and the book is a pointed message about just how thoroughly she devastated him.
Vengeance as justice, art as revenge.
It was a good movie. Kept me entertained.
I felt physically ill at the opening credits - thought I was going to throw up. Very glad I did not turn it off. Feels like a reverse Tarot card to Enemy (2013).
absolute masterpiece of a thriller
as an aspiring writer, it's perfect :heart::heart:
Wow. What a riveting and sad movie. I enjoyed it a lot. This was actually my second watch but it still felt like my first. Really makes you think about the choices you make in life.
This is a movie with a very creative idea, and the artistic acting of its actors.
The story of a kind of artistic revenge!
which was done with only one novel!
A tormenting novel, along with a little teller of the author's features!
This movie had a wonderful soundtrack!
This movie separated the scenes related to the novel and the real world well!
I hope you like this movie!
The aesthetic pleasure of the way the movie is made is mixed with the traumatic brutality of the story sent to his ex-wife by the writer. This story within the story completes the plot. The picture in the gallery says the word Revenge. Wonderful acting. Great movie:clap:
This had been on my watchlist for years and I finally got to it this evening. On one hand it creates visceral reactions to some of the scenes, and on the other I found my attention drifting from time to time during some of the slower scenes. Very beautifully shot and well acted. It's well worth a viewing, but somewhat over the top with some of the metaphors. 7.3 for me.
The opening titles blinded me. I watched this film with a sceptical attitude, but it actually totally won me over. The story was an interesting take of past against present.
I went from not liking it to liking it, it was always beautiful to watch, the colors, the blueness, but then the revelation of the abortion and his story made sense at the loss he felt, and also the loss she felt, it was a study of pain and suffering and was a masterpiece.
Yay, another movie that treats the rape and murder of women as a plot device to fuel the angst of a man, while portraying it in a grossly sexualized way. Bonus points for comparing the above to the breakdown of a romantic relationship and implying the main character deserves to live in misery because she divorced a guy. Just say you hate women and go.
I'm not giving it 0 stars just because of the great performances of the actors.
awesome drama and mystery in the first half and then it turned to be a boring, predictable crime movie. Probably that crime scenes were required to properly understand character profiles but I really did not enjoy those parts. Anyways, I liked how Susan's character was interconnected with the book and I liked the mysterious ending where I mostly realized that interconnection.
A weirdly good movie about feelings and revenge.
just because the story tella my feeling, i love it thanks tom ford
Well I love Jake Gyllenhaal so that was a very good start. While not suspenseful, the plot line from the book keeps you well engaged to see where it goes. I wish they had left the twist til later in the movie, I think I would have enjoyed it more.
I'm surprised how I managed not to quit after the first 30 minutes, considering how many elements there are usually upsetting me in such "road thriller movie" scenarios.
But it was a good decision to keep watching. Pretty rewarding when the movie invites you to interpret the events.
um. i didn't get it
Too pretentious. It melts like a sugar in a cafe
Edwards book was the only reason I kept watching this I think it had potential but in the end well I haven't got a clue. Proper mindfuck you do not get any answers from the ending.
i recommend this movie to fans who love "mindfuck" movies. (interstellar, shutter island, etc.)
movie is good, dont know what to expect next and that was what "hooked" me.
i didnt understand ending at first, but after i read explanation i realized how much things i didnt notice in movie...
8/10
Decent thriller. Well acted. The story in a story structure is interesting and well handled. The novel sequences are intense.
I watched this film to see why Michael Shannon's was nominated for the Oscar's Best Actor in a Supporting Role. From the opening credits this tale is filled with shocking images. The viewer is forced away from the rational into the emotional, which is counterpoint to the protagonist, who walks through the uncomfortable and shocking devoid response. This is a story within a story; a fiction that supersedes a reality. This is not a bedtime story or a feel good movie - there are no happy endings, just raw emotion. The acting, by all, is superb - Amy Adams walks through her character's dispassionate, lost life, with excruciating realism.. You hurt for her. Jake Gyllenhaal is evocative as story-teller and tortured victim. Michael Shannon captures us with his character's grim pathos. I found portions of this movie hard to watch, as was the film-makers' intention, and give it an 8 (superb) out of 10, because it grabs you and won't let go.
great movie but the final is too heavy
This is one weird movie. Allegoric much and real strange ending, i don't know what to thought of this movie. You keep wondering about the ending and i think i tend to keep the theory about suicide of Edward and that's why he didn't show up in the restaurant. The whole book was a revenge story about her
But Nice performances from Adams and Gyllenhaal. I would probably not recommend this with light heart.
Intriguing and strange with fine performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor Johnson (Kick-Ass). The fictional world Amy Adams' character reads about is what kept my attention throughout.
Top notch... Heath Ledger at his best
Weird,wonderful and strangely enjoyable.
Shout by Danielle LaurenBlockedParent2017-03-28T17:40:16Z
The film wins the award for "weirdest opening to a film". Ever.