Directed by the talented Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal is a straight up, savage, & downright unnerving look at the dark side of toxic masculinity - and the messed up family dynamics that can drive someone to the brink of madness. Coming out in 2023, this Hindi-language action drama brings together some serious acting powerhouses: we're talking Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol. This movie is a cinematic force to be reckoned with - by turns it's got you on the edge of your seat and then hits you with some seriously disturbing stuff. All in all, it's a wild ride that's equal parts glorious & downright divisive.
Ranvijay Singh (played by the inimitable Ranbir Kapoor) is a seriously volatile heir to a massive business who has this totally unhealthy attachment to his dad Balbir Singh (played by Anil Kapoor). Then, tragedy strikes & all hell breaks loose - Ranvijay goes on this bloody vendetta that leaves a trail of bodies & shattered lives in its wake. The plot doesnt hold back from showing you what a complete mess Ranvijay is - a deeply flawed anti hero with all the best (or worst) qualities. It's a wildly captivating & deeply repellent character that you just cant help but watch.
Ranbir Kapoor knocks it out of the park with the kind of performance that will go down as the defining moment of his career. He pours his all into Ranvijay, capturing the character's feral intensity & raw, unhinged energy that holds the entire film together. Where most actors might struggle to find balance between vulnerability & menace, KP pulls it off to perfection - even when Ranvijay's actions stray woefully beyond what's acceptable. Rashmika Mandanna does her best with the part of Ranvijay's wife Geetanjali - adding a lot of heart to what could've been a pretty one-dimensional role. Still - the script doesn't always give her enough to really sink her teeth into. Bobby Deol makes an impact in the villainous role, delivering a menacing & almost wordless performance that sends chills even though he's on screen for only a few brief moments. Anil Kapoor too tries to get his character - the distant patriarch - to add some emotional heft but unfortunately ends up getting short changed on screen.
Vanga's direction is seriously bold: high-octane set pieces with a super-stylised aesthetic which puts the film's action sequences on a level that's almost operatic. Those set pieces – the one interval block in particular - are precision-crafted, taking the violence to a whole new level and coupling it with a driving score by Harshavardhan Rameshwar that's got real energy. The cinematography - nice moody lighting and over-the-top framing - helps build a film that's as big as it gets. But the film is just a bit too long and the pacing flags a bit in the second half, especially when the subplots go off the rails and start to slow down the momentum.
But Animal isn't afraid to tackle its themes head on, looking at toxic masculinity, loyalty, and the price of chasing your dreams someplace you shouldn't. That being said, the way it portrays Ranvijay's misogyny and glorifies a bit too enthusiastically has some viewers scratching their heads and put up in arms. The film seems to revel in its hero's flaws without ever quite pointing out just how wrong they are - which can be either really thought-provoking or totally alienating, depending on the viewer. The dialogue is snappy, but sometimes veers off into drama territory - and the women in the film, even though the actresses do a great job, get swamped by the film's overall male-centric point of view.
In the end though, Animal is a bit of a wild beast - flawed, provocative and utterly impossible to get out of your head. It's a film that challenges you to wrestle with its own contradictions, just like its hero is struggling to get a grip on his own demons. If you can handle its mad pace and dubious morals, it's a ride that'll have you on the edge of your seat. But if you can't, the other side just gets too overwhelming. Either way, Animal leaves you with something to think about - even if it's not all good.
Animal is a film that demands you work out its contradictions - the way its hero struggles to find his way & deal with the consequences of his own actions. And for those who can stomach its breakout intensity and the grey areas in between right & wrong - it's a heavy but exhilarating ride.