Animal Kingdom - Not Impressive.

(2010) ★★☆☆☆

I believe that what distinguishes us humans from animals is things like guilty conscience, empathy, compassion, moral consciousness and stuff. So for sure we can be like animals if we happen to have lost those sorts of qualities, like those 'animals' in 'Animal Kingdom', an Australian film that tells a story of a family of criminals.

What if you grow up in a family like that? How would you survive? What would you do? Would you turn a blind eye to your conscience or what happens around you? Would let yourself grow so numb that, even when you find your mom dead from overdosing on drugs in a couch, you'd still be calm and keep watching TV while waiting for the authority to come? In the opening scene of the film, J Cody's in a situation like that. Nor sure if he was born an animal or has been traumatized so bad by a family of animals. I however, tend to believe that he was a good boy!

There're great actors, great performances, great direction, and great music (if you like Air Supply), but the story itself appears to be less heart-wrenching than I thought. I don't feel any struggle there in their lives. Or maybe there shouldn't be because they're y'know animals! And I'm pretty confused about the ending: has he just become the king of the 'animal kingdom' or been obliged to draw the curtains on it? God knows! I really don't care actually.