From its shock-value opening sequence to its devious finale, Nocturnal Animals succeeds in constantly making viewers uneasy.
Indeed, there are moments of frustration and exhilaration sprinkled throughout this provocative if muddled thriller that weaves a compelling tale of obsession, revenge, and murder without allowing its excesses to spill over into high camp.
The film follows Susan (Amy Adams), a Hollywood art-gallery owner living in a posh mansion whose personal life is thrown into turmoil when she finds out her husband (Armie Hammer) is cheating just as she receives a package from her ex, who she dumped 20 years ago, containing a manuscript for a new novel he’s written.
As she reads, Susan notices some uncanny parallels between her former relationship with the author and the book itself — with its dark story involving a couple and their teenage daughter whose vacation takes a violent turn, leading to a quest for justice involving the father (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a small-town sheriff (Michael Shannon).
While battling insomnia, an overbearing mother (Laura Linney) and a fledgling career, Susan finds the book disturbing but alluring as it forces her to confront insecurities and past regrets, and specifically her failed relationships.
Along the way, there are plenty of naked bodies gratuitously intended to connect the material to the primal tendencies simmering beneath the surface.
The stylish touches of director Tom Ford (A Single Man) include a vibrant color palette and a persistent piano score that effectively ratchets up the tension. In some ways, the film captures a similar noir aesthetic to recent melodramas such as The Neon Demon and The Girl on the Train, with considerably more success.
Despite some strong performances, the jumbled narrative structure of Ford’s screenplay, adapted from a novel by Austin Wright, is more of a mixed bag. The story-within-a-story is more compelling than the central plot, which often leaves Susan languishing in a state of forlorn bewilderment while only hinting at deeper satirical explorations of guilt and remorse, superficial urban living, or the artistic process.
However, just because something is lurid and trashy doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. While Nocturnal Animals might pander to our most basic instincts, it’s haunting in way that’s easy to watch but difficult to shake.
