''Animals'' is a 2021 psychological thriller film directed by Nabil Ben Yadir. It stars Soufiane Chilah and was written by Antoine Cuypers and Ben Yadir, who also produced alongside Benoit Roland. The film is based on the 2012 murder of gay man Ihsane Jarfi in

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

. The murder was denounced as a

hate crime A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...

and became the first case of

homophobic violence Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people frequently experience violence directed toward their sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. This violence may be enacted by the state, as in laws prescribing punishment for homose ...

recognized by law in Belgium. It was screened at the

Film Fest Ghent Film Fest Ghent, spelt Film Fest Gent in Flemish and also known as International Film Fest Gent, is an annual international film festival in Ghent, Belgium. The festival held its first edition in 1974, under the name Internationaal Filmgebeuren ...

on 13 October 2021, where it competed for the Grand Prix. At the 12th Magritte Awards, ''Animals'' received six nominations, including Best Film and

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...

for Ben Yadir.

Cast

* Soufiane Chilah as Brahim * Gianni Guettaf as Loïc * Vincent Overath as Geoffroy * Lionel Maisin as Christophe * Serkan Sancak as Milos

Critical reception

''Animals'' received polarized reviews from film critics, with praise towards Soufiane Chilah's performance and Frank van den Eeden's cinematography, but criticism towards its graphic portrayal of violence and crime.

Accolades

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 10098452, Animals 2021 films 2020s French films 2021 crime drama films 2021 crime thriller films 2021 LGBT-related films Belgian crime drama films French crime drama films Belgian crime thriller films French crime thriller films Belgian films based on actual events French films based on actual events Crime films based on actual events Drama films based on actual events Films set in the 2010s Films set in Belgium Gay-related films Homophobia in fiction LGBT-related films based on actual events Films about violence against LGBT people 2000s French-language films Belgian LGBT-related films Les Films du Fleuve films 2020s Belgian films LGBT-related crime drama films