The premise to Nocturnal Animals is simple enough. Susan (Amy Adams), a high-class art gallery owner living a shallow life receives a novel from her estranged ex-husband Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal) titled Nocturnal Animals—a nickname he used to give her. The novel is a gruesome thriller, detailing a humble, weak-willed man’s (also Jake Gyllenhaal) life being destroyed by one unfortunate encounter—paralleling Edward’s own destroyed relationship with Susan. The plot is understandable, but I still have no clue what its opening is all about. Talk about an R-rated big-lipped alligator moment. It comes out of nowhere, is absolutely bizarre, stays for an uncomfortably long amount of time, and is never talked about, nor mentioned again.
The film’s first half is its best, particularly the novel section’s all-too-intense opening segment. The entire segment had my heart thumping like crazy, wishing for the story to switch back to Susan’s perspective. It’s a gradual descent into hell as the novel’s protagonist is tormented in an unbelievably terrifying and cruel manner. The segment is so effective that it had me shouting at the screen at every move the protagonist did right and wrong. The whole story within a story concept is done noticeably well here, allowing both plots to focus directly on what matters while avoiding any unnecessary filler often used to hit an acceptable runtime. A complaint I have is how the novel’s story takes precedence over the real world’s story—in addition to having far more screentime—to the point where, by the end, I cared little about how Susan’s story would conclude. The novel’s story also grows a bit trite by its second half and lacks the impact its first half possessed.
I would have written that Jake Gyllenhaal is the true star of the film if it wasn’t for Michael “Best Actor of the Decade” Shannon, overwhelming Gyllenhaal's performance with his own memorable role as a no-nonsense Texan detective. While not on the level of his greatest performances (i.e. Revolutionary Road, Take Shelter, 99 Homes), Shannon’s acting here is effective and engaging—commanding attention despite never raising his voice throughout, and giving a hopeless situation strength. I love how his character is nothing new or innovative, yet Shannon’s distinct performance, combined with his unexpectedly touching bond with Gyllenhaal’s character, is able to breathe new life into this standard stock character. Nocturnal Animals is a good film with an exceptionally thrilling scene and a memorable performance from Michael Shannon. I still have no clue why director Tom Ford chose to open the film the way he did, but by the finale, such bizarre opening is almost forgotten for the bleak story it tells.