Neuchâtel 2024 Review: ANIMAL Hurts Men, Women And Beasts

Last month, the 2024 edition of the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival ended, so normally by now we'd have finished our coverage. But the review for Emma Benestan's Animale, internationally distributed as Animal, lived rent-free in my brain for weeks, while I tried to get a handle on what I wanted to tell while taking care not to reveal too much. It was one of the best films at the festival, a closing title at the Critics Choices in Cannes this year and the opening title at Neuchâtel. It is also one of those rare films in which you feel yourself transported to the region where the story takes place, in this case the Camargue in the South-East of France. So why the reluctance and hesitation on my end? Well... it's about two of my least favorite subjects in the world: cruelty to animals, and the abuse of people.

Nejma is a young woman who works (and practically lives) at a farm where bulls are raised for bull-running, a sport in which athletes try to snatch a rosette which has been fastened on the head of an angered bull. The farm is run with a stern hand by the old farmer Léonard, who eyes Nejma as a possible successor over his capable (but obviously gay) son. Against the wishes of her mother, Nejma wants to become the first female bull-runner, a difficult and dangerous ambition as many runners end up wounded or even permanently disabled.

Nejma perseveres though, and after her first match, she goes out partying with the other runners. But when she gets goaded by them to enter a field with old bulls at night, as a dare, she passes out. She wakes up the next day at the farm with a shoulder wound, a bad hangover, and a weird enhanced ability to know what the bulls feel. Shortly afterwards a mysterious rogue bull appears at night, one who stalks the runners and kills them one by one. To save the tourist season and dispel any rumors about a killer bull on the loose, all farms unite for a bull-hunt. But as her powers of perception grow, Nejma starts to fear that there may be a more supernatural angle to what's been happening...

Emma Benestan's film is almost a love-letter to the Camargue region, and its depictions of the landscape and the people and animals in it is gorgeous. The sport of bull-running is shown spectacularly, with obvious criticism towards the treatment of the people and the bulls but also with respect for the athletic abilities and strength of both. This duality is shown immediately in the opening scene which graphically shows the branding of the young bulls, because for all the skills and obvious love and care for the animals you're still watching the torturous maiming of them.

At first you think Animal will be about Nejma's trial to be accepted among a select group of macho men, and indeed toxic masculinity and jokes are shown. But also the mutual respect and camaraderie gets the limelight, making you understand up to a point why Nejma wants to be part of this so much. It helps that Nejma is played believably by a fantastic Oulaya Amamra. In fact, all the roles are filled admirably, with many of the actors having to do some damn dangerous stuntwork themselves.

With so much to like, even love about the film, it comes as a nasty surprise when this beautiful package comes with a few barbs, and even gut-punches. The story takes a few very triggering turns (and one silly one even), and it doesn't quite add to the narrative in a way that can be appreciated. It left this viewer at the end with an unbalanced and unsatisfied feeling. It's this what prevented me from outright loving this film, and I can't quite tell you all why because I'd have to totally spoil Animal. Which, to its credit, would still be a shame. For me, I'll file this away as well-intended and interesting, and I will definitely keep track of what Emma Benestan will do next. Because on visuals and atmosphere, Animal is a piece of art.