Trailer for ‘We the Animals,’ one of the year’s best films and the Centerpiece of Outfest LA

Erik Anderson June 29, 2018

Raul Castillo and Evan Rosado appear in We The Animals by Jeremiah Zagar | Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Zak Mulligan.

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After hugely successful runs at Sundance, Tribeca and Frameline so far, We the Animals will be coming to a theater near you this summer. Seek it out, it’s one of the best films of the year.

Three boys tear through their childhood, in the midst of their young parents’ volatile love that makes and unmakes the family many times over. While Manny and Joel grow into versions of their loving and unpredictable father, Ma seeks to shelter her youngest, Jonah, in the cocoon of home. More sensitive and conscious than his older siblings, Jonah increasingly embraces an imagined world all his own.

My capsule review from the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival:

[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Sometimes there is a fine line between homage and and rip-off. Most people, for example, consider the majority of Quentin Tarantino’s work to be inspired by and homages to his favorite kinds of films from the 70s (exploitation, etc).

With We the Animals, first time feature director Jeremiah Zagar has created a kaleidoscope of influences ranging from the ethereal wonder of Terrence Malick to the dreams-as-art fantasy of John Cameron Mitchell. There are even clear lines of Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Florida Project here in this tale of three young brothers, one of which has a big secret, navigating a mostly parent-less existence. Every one of those elements merges together to create stunning moments of magical realism. It’s one of the most emotionally satisfying and visually breathtaking films of the year. [/box]

With a screenplay by Dan Kitrosser and Jeremiah Zagar based on the celebrated Justin Torres novel, We the Animals is a visceral coming-of-age story propelled by layered performances from its astounding cast – including three talented, young first-time actors – and stunning animated sequences which bring Jonah’s torn inner world to life. Drawing from his documentary background, director Jeremiah Zagar creates an immersive portrait of working class family life and brotherhood.

We the Animals stars Evan Rosado, Isaiah Kristian, Josiah Gabriel, Sheila Vand, Raul Castillo. The film will be the U.S. Centerpiece gala at 2018 Outfest Los Angeles (July 12-22, 2018).

The Orchard will release WE THE ANIMALS in theaters August 17, 2018

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.