2023 Sundance Film Festival Movie Review: Animalia

Watching a movie like Animalia makes me feel happy and excited about the future of cinema because we are witnessing a new talented voice in the cinematic world. Directed by Sofia Alaoui, in her feature film directorial debut, the film is an assured, well-made film that puts a unique spin on a classic genre. Though not all the ideas come together fully, you can’t help but be impressed by Alaoui’s confidence as a director.

Animalia begins with the very pregnant Itto (Oumaïma Barid) living in the beautiful mansion of her husband’s (Mehdi Dehbi) very wealthy family. You immediately feel the tension between Itto and her husband’s family. Itto is very tense and quiet while her mother-in-law always looks like she is judging her. 

When her husband and his family have to take a business trip, Itto sees this as an opportunity to kick her feet up, eat some candy, and watch stupid T.V., things she probably doesn’t get to do while her mother and father-in-law are present. A strange, downpouring rainstorm stops Itto’s husband and family from being able to return home. When the storm stops, Itto goes outside of the mansion and sees several military convoys flying past her home and a mysterious state of emergency ordered. Alone, scared, and unsure of what is happening, Itto goes on a journey to be reunited with her husband, which forces her to confront questions about humanity, religion, and class.

Animalia takes a different approach to the science fiction genre. The synopsis of the film on the Sundance Film Festival program talks about a supernatural phenomenon, or aliens, causing the weird weather and state of emergency order. But Alaouis makes a smart and daring decision to never show the aliens and only give us a moment with the supernatural phenomenon. Her focus is on Itto being reunited with her husband and his family and the journey physical, emotional, and spiritual journey she takes with it. During Itto’s journey, we see strange things happening: color flashes in the sky, birds flying in weird formations, dogs barking and forming circles, and people with creepy smiles saying, “Everything is going to be alright” after something bad happens to them, and we’re seeing it through the eyes of Itto. Alaoui uses a delicate hand for the tone of Animalia. It’s suspenseful from the beginning but in a subtle, quieter fashion. Alaoui wanted to make a character piece about Itto’s journey in Morocco and not an alien invasion movie.

Barid, a fairly new actress with only three film credits to her name, gives a tremendous performance as Itto. Itto’s journey finds her going to several different parts of Morocco, most of which are far from the life she has lived in with her husband and his family. Dark, sad, poor areas that Itto grew up in, but seemed to have forgotten about. Itto’s journey exposes her to the class disparity between the life she lives and the people on the other side. She sees the good in people and the bad in people and sees how less fortunate people are treated in times of crisis. She also sees the lack of religious spirituality amongst the less fortunate and begins to question her own beliefs. Barid gives a strong, captivating performance.

Animalia shows that Sofia Alaoui is a director to keep an eye on. Her confidence, technical skill, story-telling ability, and subversion of the sci-fi genre are fresh and make for an exciting new voice on the rise.

Animalia premiered in the World Dramatic Competition Category at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

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