Annual Top Films Lists

Top 150 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2019: #108. Animals – Sophie Hyde

Published on January 2, 2019

Animals

Australia’s Sophie Hyde returns with her debut Animals, an Irish-Australian co-production. Hyde serves as producer alongside Rebecca Summerton for Closer Productions and Sarah Brocklehurst and Cormac Fox for Vico Films. Bryan Mason, who served as editor and cinematographer on her debut 52 Tuesdays returns once again for double duty. Hyde nabs Alia Shawkat (Green Room) and Holliday Grainger (Tulip Fever, My Cousin Rachel) as her headliners, joined by Amy Molloy (’71, Call the Midwife). Hyde’s 2013 debut 52 Tuesdays won her an award for Directing at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival (see acceptance speech) as well as the Crystal Bear for Best Film in the Generation 14 plus program in Berlin.

Gist: Based on Emma Jane Unsworth’s 2014 best-selling novel (with the screenplay adapted by Unsworth), Animals focuses on best friends and drinking buddies Laura and Tyler, who find their friendship forced to transform when Laura becomes engaged to Jim.

Release Date/Prediction: Hyde shot in Dublin in spring 2018 and Animals has been selected in the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Nicholas Bell

Los Angeles based Nicholas Bell is IONCINEMA.com's Chief Film Critic and covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and TIFF. He is part of the critic groups on Rotten Tomatoes, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and GALECA. His top 3 for 2021: France (Bruno Dumont), Passing (Rebecca Hall) and Nightmare Alley (Guillermo Del Toro). He was a jury member at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival.