“Nocturnal Animals”

Movie Review

Based on Austin Wright's novel Tony and Susan, Tom Ford's 2016 American neo-noir psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals was written, produced, and directed. Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, and Michael Sheen are among the cast members of the movie. The story follows an owner of an art gallery as she reads a new book by her first husband and starts to notice connections to their previous union.

When the movie came out in November 2016, it was well-received, with compliments on the actors and Ford's directing. Nocturnal Animals earned the Grand Jury Prize at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival, where it was chosen to compete for the Golden Lion. At the 89th Academy Awards, Shannon received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In addition, Taylor-Johnson won the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Award and garnered nine BAFTA Award nominations, along with nods for Best Director and Best Writing.

Owner of an art gallery Susan Morrow receives the novel's manuscript and a dinner invitation from her estranged ex-husband Edward Sheffield before his impending trip to Los Angeles. Susan, who is upset over her failing marriage to dishonest businessman Hutton Morrow, becomes engrossed in the book, Nocturnal Animals, which is dedicated to her and called after Edward's pet name for her.

During a road trip through West Texas, Tony Hastings, a family guy, encounters Ray Marcus, Lou, and Turk, three neighborhood troublemakers. Tony is forced off the road and unable to stop Ray and Turk from stealing his wife Laura and their daughter India. He is then left with Lou, who compels him to use Ray's car to get to the end of the road where he is abandoned. When Ray and Lou come hunting for him again, Tony is able to escape and travel to a nearby farmhouse to contact the police.

Assigned to the case is Detective Roberto "Bobby" Andes, who along with Tony finds Laura and India's bodies close to an abandoned cabin where they had been raped and killed. Tony is tormented with guilt. A year later, Andes gets in touch with him and asks him to identify Lou, who is accused of helping kill Laura and India.

Ray is the final criminal to be apprehended after Turk was fatally shot during a failed heist. Ray is taken into custody by Andes, but they are compelled to let him go because they only have ad hoc proof of his involvement. Andes, who is about to retire and has been told that he has terminal lung cancer, decides to take matters into his own hands and kidnaps Ray and Lou with Tony's assistance. When Lou tries to flee, Andes shoots him dead, but Ray manages to get away.

To the shack where Laura and India were murdered, Tony follows Ray. Ray calls Tony weak and then confesses to raping and killing his wife and daughter. Tony shoots him dead, but Ray strikes him in the head with a fire poker, blinding him. Tony trips outdoors and shoots himself in the abdomen, killing himself as he does so.

Susan recalls meeting Edward in college and their blossoming relationship, which Susan's controlling mother Anne Sutton objected to, saying that Edward was unworthy of Susan's affections and that his romantic worldview meant he lacked the drive to achieve his goals; Susan ignored her mother's objections, eventually marrying Edward. Susan was shocked by the dark content and raw emotion of the novel.

Susan picks up the manuscript again after discovering more proof of Hutton's extramarital affair and starts to reflect on her troubled marriage to Edward. Their relationship was strained by her disapproval of his budding literary career and her dismissive attitude toward his aspirations, and it ended with Susan cheating on him with Hutton and divorcing Edward to wed him. After discovering Susan was expecting his kid but had secretly had an abortion to assure the end of any link with him, Edward made an effort to mend their relationship but ultimately severed ties with Susan.

Susan completes reading the book in the present and schedules a meeting with Edward at a restaurant. Susan waits by herself while the restaurant empties because Edward does not arrive.

WATCH THE REVIEW VIDEO FOR MORE...