Bored with Their Lives, Four College Boys Seek the Extraordinary

From left: Jared Abrahamson, Evan Peters, Blake Jenner, and
Barry Keoghan in "American Animals"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

At some point in our lives, we may think about breaking our routine and doing something that we’d never thought we’d do, something outrageous to give us a certain enjoyment that we might not receive from anything else.  Although we might not act upon these thoughts, there are times where you can’t resist pondering such a notion.  However, about 14 years ago, there was a group of boys who put their thrill-seeking dream into action.

Writer-director Bart Layton tackles one such scenario in his crime drama, “American Animals.”  It’s based on a true story that you wouldn’t expect to be so, and Layton offers a fascinating insight of an unusual crime and its culprits, showing us how and why this quartet of average college students set out to put their futures on a radical course.

In 2004, childhood friends and college students Warren Lipka (Evan Peters) and Spencer Reinhard (Barry Keoghan) are looking for something to shake up their average lifestyles.  With the help of two other students, Chas Allen (Blake Jenner) and Eric Borsuk (Jared Abrahamson), they plan to steal a collection of rare books from the library of Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.

Although the four main characters all give terrific performances, this film belongs to Keoghan and Peters.  Peters exemplifies the frustration of living an unexciting life, holding a burning in his eyes to do something that could take him in a much different direction than he ever expected.  You know that what he’s planning is wrong, but because of his character’s passion to break out of his rut, you can’t help but feel caught up in his lawless awakening. With his character’s dedication to the heist, Peters manages to make the prospect of the mission seem thrilling, even though it shouldn’t be done.  And, even though we already know the outcome of the events, Peters is still able to create a character where you wish for him to stop and think about what he’s doing, but also want to see him go for it.

Keoghan offers the film’s most-complex performance as someone who’s not sure what he wants in this situation, as he’s an introverted individual who’s thrown out of his element when he joins Wayne’s plan.  Spencer, who’s aspiring to make a career out of his drawing abilities, is looking for that life-changing experience that is artistic idols have had.  He believes that one such event will inspire his work, but he’s worried about the consequences of the heist.  Keoghan does well in portraying a character whose moral compass is always switching directions, and this makes for a compelling display of Spencer’s inner conflict as he tries to decide whether or not he should risk everything for his art.  

Layton’s screenplay cuts between the events of the film and interview segments with the four main characters’ real-life counterparts as they’re given an opportunity to explain how the heist came to be.  They all have different recollections of what happened, and having multiple points-of-view is something that also worked to superb effect in Steven Rogers’ screenplay for Craig Gillespie’s film, “I, Tonya,” and this brings up the question as to if the real-life participants are only remembering what they want to remember, as a way to assuage their guilt.  

This is a true story of which I’ve never heard until I saw the trailer, so having the real-life Wayne, Spencer, Chas, and Eric appear in the film to provide their testimonials adds to the movie in such a way that makes this more than another “based on a true story” film, but rather takes this too-crazy-to-be-believed occurrence and reaffirms its authenticity by having the four men appear throughout the film.  Having them in this movie gives you a better understanding of what was going on in their minds before, during, and after the heist.

In the film, the four main characters have much to lose, and the narrative gives you a view of each of their lives so you know the stakes that are at play.  Even though you know that they're going to go through with the heist, that doesn't make the film any less suspenseful because you're given an opportunity to learn about and care for these characters, so that by the time that the heist comes around, you begin to feel anxious as you see them put their plan into action.

Thanks to the editing from Nick Fenton, Chris Gill, Luke Dunkley, and Julian Dart and cinematography from Ole Bratt Birkeland, Layton gives us a climactic heist sequence that may be one of the best cinematic thrills of 2018 so far.  In this scene, Layton’s able to take a quiet place like a library and make it into a powder keg of tension where anything could go wrong.  

Aside from Layton’s notable work in crafting the heist, his focus on the characters provides plenty of compelling drama throughout the film.  This is because enough time’s spent on building their personas and looking into their lives, so as the film goes on, we’re able to feel the weight of the decision that the four friends think about making.  

For the quartet of main characters, the concept of thrill-seeking is irresistible.  For moviegoers, “American Animals” will prove to be the same.

Final grade: A