Jacob, a man who believes he is a wolf trapped in a human body, is sent to a clinic by his family where he is forced to undergo increasingly extreme forms of "curative" therapies at the hands of The Zookeeper. Jacob’s only solace is the enigmatic wildcat with whom he roams the hospital in the dead of night. The two form an improbable friendship that develops into infatuation.
- Released: 2021-12-03
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thrillers
- Stars: George MacKay, Lily-Rose Depp, Paddy Considine, Fionn O'Shea, Lola Petticrew, Senan Jennings, Darragh Shannon, Elisa Fionuir, Amy Macken, Helen Behan, Shelley Atkinson
- Director: Nathalie Biancheri
Comments
- ollie501 - 14 August 2023
Haunting, beautiful and sadly under appreciated.
Haunting and strangely beautiful, this is a film that seems entirely lost on its critics. Roger Ebert seems to get the point only in the last sentence of his review, and then only as a ponderance. This is a film full of metaphorical imagery set with in an entirely allegorical tale.
George Mackay gives a superb performance as Jacob, who seemingly identifies as a wolf, and is confined to a mental institution, where he is subjected to horrific "treatment" in an attempt to cure his "species identify disorder". The photography is beautiful and captures Mackay's lupine movement perfectly. If the point of the film is not clear by the end, there is a superb shot, lasting only a couple of seconds, in which a rainbow refracts across a tortured Jacob's chest.
Most of the reviews seem to take this film at face value only, and ponder the ridiculousness of a group of young people who think they are wild animals. There is much more to this film, which, to me, seemed fairly obvious. Any more deliberate and the point was at risk of becoming laboured. Other reviews are similarly unkind, but mostly as they do understand the message of the film, and, at a time when gender identity and sexuality have never been more scrutinised and vilified, view the film with a cynicism that is all too prevalent in some circles.
I'd highly recommend this film to anyone with an open mind, not least for George Mackay's performance. He is fast becoming one of my favourite actors and this a remarkable addition to his career. Nathalie Biancheri"s direction is methodical, deliberate and artistic and tells the story respectfully and carefully, without ever descending into parody. 9.5/10. - shamis-881-25789 - 17 September 2022
Simple. Beautiful.
Sometimes we forget why we watch movies.
I will not give any spoilers but I loved this movie. The acting of the entire cast and the overall direction is top notch. It's a well made movie and it has absolutely nothing to do with politics, unlike some of the other reviews here speaking so otherwise. Do not be misled.
This movie is about finding your footing in life; and accepting, believing and following what your heart wishes/desires for. Not to become a slave to worldly expectations and conformity. For some reason, it reminded me of The Lobster, but there is no similarity between the movies as such. - Pairic - 25 March 2022
One flew over The Parrot's Nest
Woif: A film about Species Identity Disorder (SID) which morphs into One Flew Over The Parrot's Nest. Jacob believes that he is a wolf and after he attacks his brother is committed to an asylum specialising in SID. Other teens there believe themselves to be squirrels, bears, dogs, parrots. Dr Angeli generally uses milder therapies but even her laughter classes are weird, she also has a strange relationship with Wildcat/Cecile. Cecile is not quite a patient but isn't allowed to leave either, indeed is semi-institutionalised. Dr Mann/Zookeeper uses far harsher methods, some might be defensible - confronting patients with their inability to actually live like animals but his cruelty goes far beyond that. Cecille and Jacob form a relationship but it does appear doomed, even star-crossed . Paddy Considine is brilliant as Dr Mann, an anti-Dr Moreau, who in his zeal to cure patients of Species Dysphoria becomes savage and inhumane. The reality that patients will have to face in the real world though is illustrated by local thugs throwing a dead animal through a clinic window .George Mackay is good as the reflective Jacob but is too old for the role while Lilly-Rose Depp vividly portrays a girl caught between two worlds. A flawed but eminently watchable film about fantasy, love and freedom. Written and Directed by Nathalie Biancheri. 8/10.
