2014 film by Brett Simmons
Animal
is a 2014 American
horror
thriller film
directed by Brett Simmons
[1]
and starring
Elizabeth Gillies
,
Keke Palmer
,
Jeremy Sumpter
,
Eve
, and
Joey Lauren Adams
. The film follows a group of friends that find themselves terrorized by a bloodthirsty beast.
[2]
The film was released in a
limited release
and through
video on demand
on June 17, 2014.
[3]
Plot
[
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]
One night, Two married couples, Carl and Vicky, and Douglas and Barbara, are being chased through the woods by a mysterious beast. Barbara is killed as Douglas tries to save her.
Sometime later, five college students, Alissa, her boyfriend Matt, her half-brother Jeff, Jeff's girlfriend Mandy, and their friend Sean arrive in the forest to hike. Jeff gets the others to try to find a waterfall he, Alissa, and their father used to go to as kids, but they end up taking so long that it is dark by the time they start walking back to the car. Along the way, they discover the remains of Barbara's body and encounter the same monster that killed her. It chases them through the forest. They see a cabin in the distance. When they try to get to the cabin, it kills Jeff.
When they arrive at the cabin, the group desperately bangs on the doors and screams for whoever is inside to help them. As the monster approaches, the people in the cabin finally open the door for them. Mandy gets attacked as she enters the cabin, but the group manages to pull her in and board up the door. In the cabin, they find Carl, Vicky, and Douglas, who have sealed the windows and walls with boards to protect themselves against the creature. While Carl and Vicky are hopeful that they will be rescued soon, Douglas is bitterly cynical. The creature almost breaks into the house, but they hold it off. Matt volunteers to take a walkie-talkie and make a run for the car while Carl and Sean keep watch for the creature. However, his screams are heard on the walkie-talkie. Douglas attempts to board up the entrance, leaving Sean and Carl to die outside, but the girls help them get in through the back. The group ties Douglas to the stairs, no longer trusting him.
Mandy reveals to Alissa that she is pregnant while Sean confesses to Mandy that he and Jeff were having an affair. The group discovers Matt, barely alive, in the cellar, along with the animal. They get Matt upstairs but Carl is killed. Douglas proposes that the group let the animal eat Matt as a bait so they can escape. The group refuses and decides to trap the animal inside the house and burn it down. However, when they untie Douglas to help, he beats Matt to death, calling the others weak. The animal breaks in and kills Douglas. As it eats his body, the others spread kerosene throughout the house. Alissa lures the animal into the trap. She sets the fire and burns the monster to death.
However, a second animal suddenly appears in the cellar and kills Sean and Vicky. Mandy and Alissa flee into the woods. Alissa is killed but Mandy is able to reach the car. The second animal attacks her and Mandy manages to kill it by running its head over with the car. She escapes and drives away, in tears.
Meanwhile, a third animal is seen sniffing at the second animal's corpse, where it grunts aggressively, suggesting a call to the pack.
Cast
[
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]
Production
[
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]
The film was shot in
Manchester, Connecticut
.
[4]
Actress
Keke Palmer
said she enjoyed making the movie. However, she said filming the outdoor locations in the woods "was not fun. The outdoors s---? Oh, no, no, no, no. The outdoors in the weeds, in the bushes, in the middle of Connecticut? Oh,
hell
no. I would have loved another destination, but hey."
[5]
Music
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]
The film is scored by
Tomandandy
, American actress and singer,
Keke Palmer
released "Animal" on May 29, 2014, and a music video released on June 2, 2014 on
YouTube
.
Reception
[
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]
The film holds a 50% rating on
Rotten Tomatoes
, based on 8 reviews.
[6]
Shock Till You Drop
and
Bloody Disgusting
both panned the film,
[7]
and
Shock Till You Drop
stated that the movie was "a waste of a good, old-fashioned creature."
[8]
We Got This Covered
gave
Animal
a slightly more positive rating and commented that "
Animal
has enough carnage to appease more forgiving horror fans, but despite a quick pace and brutal kills, it's repetition that truly kills this beast."
[9]
Home media
[
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]
Animal was released on DVD by Shout! Factory on September 1, 2020 and Prime Video,
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"
'Animal': Horror film's first full trailer and poster -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO"
. Entertainment Weekly
. Retrieved
29 June
2014
.
- ^
Turek, Ryan.
"First Look at Animal, Produced By Drew Barrymore!"
. STYD
. Retrieved
29 June
2014
.
- ^
Yamato, Jen (19 June 2013).
"Chiller Adds 'Deep In The Darkness,' Drew Barrymore's 'Animal' To Original Film Slate"
. Deadline
. Retrieved
29 June
2014
.
- ^
Ng, Philiana (July 25, 2013).
"Drew Barrymore's 'Animal' Sets Ensemble Cast (Exclusive)"
.
Hollywood Reporter
. Retrieved
January 4,
2014
.
- ^
Collis, Clark (May 11, 2022).
"
Nope
star Keke Palmer says Jordan Peele offered her the role after a FaceTime call"
.
Entertainment Weekly
. Retrieved
June 3,
2022
.
- ^
"Animal (2014)"
.
Rotten Tomatoes
. Retrieved
4 October
2017
.
- ^
Cooper, Patrick (19 June 2014).
"[Review] 'Animal' Is a Redundant Creature Feature"
. Bloody Disgusting
. Retrieved
29 June
2014
.
- ^
Doro, Paul.
"Review: A Good Creature is Wasted in Animal"
. STYD
. Retrieved
29 June
2014
.
- ^
Donato, Matt (25 June 2014).
"Animal Review"
. WGTC
. Retrieved
29 June
2014
.
External links
[
edit
]