This is a Smurf movie for grown-ups. Smurf is the ruthless matriarch of a Melbourne crime family; she is also a grandmother to Joshua, a nice quiet boy whose mother died of a heroin overdose. When you meet Joshua’s granny and his uncles, you understand why his mother resorted to drugs. Joshua always knew that Granny Smurf was regarded as the black sheep of the family; now he learns that she is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, determined to stop him mixing with the right crowd. What happens when the local crimelord is your grandmother? Can an honest cop (Guy Pearce) save this young man from his own family? Sharp writing and impeccable acting, particularly Jacki Weaver’s Oscar-nominated performance as Smurf, have produced a thrilling and challenging drama that builds to a stunning conclusion. Animal Kingdom was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Jury Prize.
“Tense, violent and supremely watchable” **** – The Guardian
“One of the most striking Australian pictures to reach this country over the past couple of years.” - The Observer
David Michôd / Australia 2010 / 108 min / Cert: 18
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