''Animals'' is a 2021

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a Film genre, genre combining the thriller (genre), thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting ...

film directed by

Nabil Ben Yadir Nabil Ben Yadir (born 24 February 1979) is a Belgian film director, screenwriter and producer. Career Ben Yadir made his feature-length directorial debut in 2009 with ''The Barons'', which he also co-wrote with Laurent Brandenbourger and Sébast ...

. It stars Soufiane Chilah and was written by Antoine Cuypers and Ben Yadir, who also produced alongside Benoit Roland. The film is based on the 2012 murder of gay man Ihsane Jarfi in

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

. The murder was denounced as a

hate crime Hate crime (also known as bias crime) in criminal law involves a standard offence (such as an assault, murder) with an added element of bias against a victim (individual or group of individuals) because of their physical appearance or perceived ...

and became the first case of homophobic violence recognized by law in Belgium. It was screened at the

Film Fest Ghent Film Fest Gent, also known as International Film Fest Gent, is an annual international film festival in Ghent, Belgium. The festival held its first edition in 1974, under the name Internationaal Filmgebeuren Gent, and has since grown into the la ...

on 13 October 2021, where it competed for the Grand Prix. At the 12th Magritte Awards, ''Animals'' received six nominations, including Best Film and Best Director for Ben Yadir.

Cast

* Soufiane Chilah as Brahim * Gianni Guettaf as Loïc * Vincent Overath as Geoffroy * Lionel Maisin as Christophe * Serkan Sancak as Milos

Critical reception

''Animals'' received polarized reviews from film critics, with praise towards Soufiane Chilah's performance and Frank van den Eeden's cinematography, but criticism towards its graphic portrayal of violence and crime.

Accolades

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 10098452, Animals 2021 films 2020s French films 2021 crime drama films 2021 crime thriller films 2021 LGBTQ-related films Belgian crime drama films French crime drama films Belgian crime thriller films French crime thriller films Belgian films based on actual events French films based on actual events Crime thriller films based on actual events Crime drama films based on actual events Films set in the 2010s Films set in Belgium Gay-related films Homophobia in fiction LGBTQ-related films based on actual events Films about violence against LGBTQ people 2000s French-language films Belgian LGBTQ-related films Les Films du Fleuve films 2020s Belgian films LGBTQ-related crime drama films