Most horror movies deliver audiences an onslaught of unsettling imagery, but in the case of My Animal, which just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the story also features a heaping helping of romance, offering viewers a new perspective on werewolf lore. Starring Bobbi Salvör Menuez and Amandla Stenberg, the film explores an unexpected romantic connection in a small, snowy town, where secrets are hard to keep and everyone loves to gossip. Despite how many secrets are uncovered in the film, fans are still left to wonder about what really happened to Menuez’s Heather and how she became a figure capable of becoming a ferocious creature. My Animal is expected to land in theaters later this year.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“Myself and [director] Jacqueline [Castel] and [writer] Jae [Matthews], and even talking to Amandla, there was so much imagining beyond what was on the screen,” Menuez shared with ComicBook.com of her character’s unseen origins. “There is the prelude and thinking about what was Heather’s life like up until she hit puberty and the reality of her being a werewolf struck, and how everything in her world changed when that reality came into focus. I think it was really exciting to think about.”
They continued, “Although there’s so much heartbreak in the queer story that unfolds, it was really, I think, special for me and Amandla to talk about and imagine the futures of these characters and being like, ‘You know what? Maybe these people are going to get out of this town, and maybe they’re going to have other great loves, and maybe they’ll find each other and have a special friendship, and this isn’t the end of their lives.’ I thought it was really exciting to imagine beyond into the future and into the past of these characters, for sure.”
My Animal is described, “Heather, an outcast teenage goalie in a small northern town, falls for newcomer Jonny, an alluring but tormented figure skater. As their relationship deepens, Heather’s growing desires clash with her darkest secret, forcing her to control the animal within.”
My Animal is sure to resonate with audiences when it gets a wide release, as Meagan Navarro at Bloody Disgusting claims the film “combines horror, romance, and a strong emphasis on drama, culminating in a stylish, fascinating coming-of-age story. It operates on mood and emotion, using the werewolf mythos as a metaphor for Heather’s budding sexuality.”
Stay tuned for details on My Animal‘s theatrical release.
Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
Related Posts
-
Annaleigh Ashford in Hold Your Breath
