Animale

From Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Kathryn Bigelows Near Dark to Chloé Zhao's naturalism: Animale is not lacking in droning references. Yet Emma Benestan's raucous drama mostly stands alone thanks to its unique portrayal of 22-year-old Nejma standing her ground in the world of bullfighting bursting with (toxic) testosterone. In the southern French Camargue, the battle between man and bull is the moment when respect is earned. When the young woman wants to take her chance at winning the annual bull-run, a wild bull suddenly turns up, causing death and destruction in the surrounding swamp area. While Benestan - who previously made a documentary about a female bullfighter, Fearless Girl in 2019 - manages to beautifully expose the atmosphere of toxic masculinity, cameraman Ruben Impens captures the brutal beauty and power of bulls. An indomitable struggle between man and nature that cuts deep.