Animal Kingdom: initial notes

Animal Kingdom is a crime thriller, directed by David Michôd. It is the story of an Australian crime family, and seventeen year old J attempting to survive amongst them.


There were a few moments in the film which I thought were key in establishing this film as a thriller

For example, at the beginning where J's mother has died from a drug overdose, he sits next to her and watches the television. This connotes that this sort of thing is very normal to his every day life, and is not unusual. Drug addicts are generic characters of thriller films, and later on in the film J's uncles take drugs too.

Also, the shot where Poe is carrying J's girlfriend across the driveway is particularly poignant and critical in establishing the film as a thriller. This shot is in slow motion, which adds to the suspense, and there is non-ambient lighting shining through trees, creating patches of shadow which he walks through. This creates sinister shadows over his face.

I particularly liked the shot of J flicking peanuts at the wall near the beginning of the film. I felt this clearly displays his childlike aspects, and connotes that he is vulnerable and isolated. Also, the fact that the director used a close up just showing the hand flicking a peanut was particularly memorable for me, and close up shots such as this build tension so are generic in thriller films.

Essex Boys: opening scene analysis

Within the opening sequence of 'Essex Boys', there are many aspects which establish it as a thriller film.

Firstly, the credits establish the mood of the film, with the black and white colour scheme suggesting a dark mise-en-scene. This could also suggest a tribute to old classics. The soundtrack over the credits is quite mysterious and sinister, with slight sounds of what seems like scratching of metal, reflecting the scratch marks on the screen which look like scratches on a car.

The lighting in the first shot of 'Essex Boys' is non-ambient. It forms a triangular shape; this is called chiaroscuro lighting and is a generic convention of thriller films as it creates shadows. The location is a dimly lit garage - this is also generic of thriller films as it is a claustrophobic space and there are many objects that form sinister looking shadows.

In the same shot, a character opens a garage door, walks in and turns on a brighter non-ambient light. As he does this, the audience sees that it is a dusty, dirty and unglamorous setting. This is a generic signifier as it suggests that the location is isolated. It also foreshadows that the actions in the film will be morally 'dirty', and criminal.

The next shot is a close up shot of the character sat in the drivers seat of the car in the garage. Due to the fact the windows are dirty, there is no way of seeing out of the car, which creates an even more claustrophobic space. This also connotes that the character perhaps cannot see what the future is going to bring. The cobwebs on the steering wheel add to the dirty, unglamorous setting.

This shot is particularly effective at establishing the character of Jason Locke. As it is shot through a dirty window, it connotes that he is a dirty character. His costume suggests a lot about his character also; leather jackets are often associated with thugs, and the flamboyant shirt he is wearing connotes his confidence. Despite this, there is a light shining behind Jason, which suggests that the character in the car idolises him as a god-like figure, possibly due to the fact that "everyone's heard of Jason Locke", as is said in the voiceover.

The next shot shows many generic conventions of thriller films, as well as cultural signifiers. The weather acts as both of these, as grey skies and rain are both generic thriller conventions, as they create a seedy and miserable atmosphere, and England is particularly known for its overcast skies and rain. Also a cultural signifier is the Dartford crossings. The car in the shot is driving into the tunnel, which acts as a vanishing point - another generic convention.

This shot has been composed very well, as the lights from the roof of the tunnel reflect onto the car, creating a sort of bar effect. This looks almost like jail bars, which is where Jason has just come from, and foreshadows that this is where the characters are driving towards. Also, the characters expressions look very unresponsive, connoting that they have accepted that this is their fate.