Nocturnal Animals

Tom Ford’s "Nocturnal Animals" is a thriller that doesn’t so much unfold as uncoil, always with a sense of dread humming in the background. It’s a story within a story, as Amy Adams’ character reads her ex-husband’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) violent manuscript, and the film bounces between her cold, sterile LA life and the pulpy narrative of the novel. On the surface, it's glossy and artful, but there’s a bitterness in the heart of it that stays with you.

What I really like here is the atmosphere. Visually, Ford paints everything with a cold beauty, sometimes so precise that it almost feels alien. The cinematography drifts between glossy magazine perfection and harsh Texas grit. It’s jarring in the best way, underlining the emotional distance between Adams’ real world and the fever dream of the novel. The score is unsettling, in a way that pushes you right up to the edge but never lets you get comfortable.

Performance-wise, it’s a real knockout for Gyllenhaal. He does desperate and raw better than almost anyone, and he gives the “story within the story” real anguish. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is probably the other big standout here - he’s so greasy and menacing that you find yourself genuinely uncomfortable during his scenes. Amy Adams is reliably strong, but her character is so icy that it’s tough to ever feel close to her, intentionally or not.

The main thing holding this movie back from greatness is its hollow emotional core. The big revenge theme should hit hard, but instead you’re left thinking about how pretty and punishingly bleak everything looks. Ford is more interested in constructing a visual argument than making you root for anyone. The style gets dangerously close to overshadowing substance, and the final scenes feel more like a curated mood board than a punch to the gut.

Pacing is another issue. The film lags a bit in its “real world” segments, maybe because Adams’ loneliness feels muted rather than raw. I kept wanting the tension of the story within the story to spill over into her life, but there’s a wall that never quite comes down. It all builds to an ending that’s clever but not as devastating as it wants to be.

All in all, "Nocturnal Animals" is a chilling, exquisitely made ride that’s more intellectually haunting than emotionally bruising. If you want a thriller that’s as beautiful as it is bitter, you’ll find a lot to admire, even if you walk away a little cold.