We the Animals

Sensitive and increasingly different from his hyper-masculine brothers, a young boy faces the truth of his own desires.

Three raucous brothers tear through their childhood in rural New York. Raised by loving but tempestuous parents, they are bonded by a rich private world of in-jokes and rituals. After a serious fight with their father, their mother takes to bed with depression and the boys must learn to fend for themselves. When they are caught raiding an allotment, a seemingly innocent engagement with their neighbour’s grandson reveals the radically different paths the boys will take. Manny and Joel are confident, street smart and eager for manhood. But Jonah, the youngest, must find the courage to manifest the vibrant inner world he retreats to every night.

Based on the novel by Justin Torres and with beautiful animated interludes, this is a heartrending account of early self-knowledge.