Animale (2025): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
Animale is a 2025 drama horror film directed by Emma Benestan, starring Oulaya Amamra as Nejma, Damien Rebattel and Elies-Morgan Admi-Bensellam. It runs 1 hour 38 minutes and earned $71,924 worldwide on a $380 million budget. Critics gave it 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 56 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.7/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 38m (98 min)
- Director
- Emma Benestan
- Original language
-
French
- Studio
- June Films
- Budget
- $380M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Animale About?
The premise of Animale without spoilers.
In the Camargue region of southern France, a notorious, centuries‑old tradition of bullfighting endures. Local youths take part in a graceful yet perilous contest, performing a modernized version that avoids killing the animals and instead highlights speed, skill and dominance. Among them is Nejma, an intrepid participant who embraces the challenge and the culture surrounding it.
Animale Themes & Keywords
· 39 tags- young
- injury
- oil lamp
- slow motion scene
- bare chested male
- blood
- triple f rated
- arena
- bull
- human transforms into animal
- bathtub
- f rated
+27 more Show fewer
- one word title
- turned into an animal
- death
- transformation
- title directed by female
- human becoming an animal
- drinking alcohol
- body transformation
- gay son
- full moon
- female protagonist
- training
- dancing
- rifle shot
- dead bull
- reflection in eye
- horse
- night
- human turned into an animal
- reflection in an eye
- physical transformation
- animal killed
- camargue
- south of france
- horseback riding
- body horror
- folk horror
Animale Cast & Characters
Oulaya Amamra leads the cast as Nejma, with Damien Rebattel as Tony and Elies-Morgan Admi-Bensellam as Jordan. Directed by Emma Benestan; 14 actors are credited in all.
- Director Emma Benestan
- Oulaya Amamra as Nejma
- Damien Rebattel as Tony
- Elies-Morgan Admi-Bensellam as Jordan
- Vivien Rodriguez as Kylian
Also Starring in Animale
· 10 more- Claude Chaballier Léonard
- Pierre Roux Arthur
- Marinette Rafai Ouarda
- Renaud Vinuesa Renaud
- Benjamin Cuillé Le maire
- Philip Chabanon Speaker 2
- Cendrine Lapuyade Cendrine
- Vincent Ribera Adjoint au maire
- Jacques Valentin Speaker 3
- Bruno Séguier Speaker
More from Emma Benestan
More films directed by Emma Benestan: Hard Shell, Soft Shell, Facing the Beast, Taste of Love and Summer of Sarah.
Animale Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Animale 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 56 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.7/10. Our Echo Score gives it 80/100, strongest in sensory experience (88) and weakest in story & flow (65).
Animale Echo Score Breakdown
Animale delivers a visually arresting horror experience anchored by a compelling lead performance, with its cinematography and atmospheric sound design standing out as its primary strengths. The film’s thematic exploration of gender and power adds depth, while the narrative structure suffers from uneven pacing and underdeveloped backstory, limiting its cohesion. Consequently, the movie offers a powerful sensory impression that rewards repeat viewings despite its storytelling flaws.
Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.
- Art & Craft 85
The film’s direction showcases a bold visual language, highlighted by kinetic camerawork and an understated color palette that amplifies tension. Cinematographer Ruben Impens contributes bustling, intimate framing that aligns with the brutal subject matter. Production design reinforces the fog‑filled swampland setting, while editing maintains rhythm during action sequences. Overall, the artful craftsmanship elevates the horror premise.
- Character & Emotion 78
Lead actress Emma Benestan delivers a nuanced performance that anchors the film’s emotional core, conveying both vulnerability and ferocity. Supporting cast members provide solid contributions, though some characters lack sufficient development, leaving relational dynamics underexplored. Chemistry between protagonists is palpable in key moments, reinforcing thematic concerns. In sum, the character work is strong but unevenly detailed.
- Story & Flow 65
Animale presents an intriguing premise centered on revenge and gendered violence, offering thematic richness that engages thoughtful viewers. However, the plot suffers from fragmented pacing and sparse exposition, resulting in a narrative that occasionally drifts off course. Key backstory elements remain underexplored, limiting audience investment in character motivations. Overall, the story is conceptually strong yet executionally inconsistent.
- Sensory Experience 88
The soundscape combines menacing music with ambient wilderness noises, creating a pervasive sense of dread that heightens tension. Visuals employ fog‑laden swampland and kinetic bullfighting sequences to deliver visceral impact without relying on graphic gore. The film’s dreamlike moments oscillate between hypnotic beauty and nightmarish intensity, reinforcing its atmospheric ambitions. Collectively, the sensory design immerses viewers in a haunting environment.
- Rewatch Factor 72
The film’s strong visual and auditory motifs reward attentive viewing, revealing new layers on subsequent watches. The lead’s performance and thematic depth encourage re‑engagement, while the atmospheric sequences retain their visceral appeal. Nonetheless, narrative gaps and unresolved subplots may deter some viewers from repeated enjoyment. Altogether, Animale offers a compelling but imperfect rewatch experience.
-
IMDb 5.7 /10
816 votes
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 94% Tomatometer
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 56 Metascore
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 61% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.2 /5
4516 ratings
See on Letterboxd
Animale Box Office & Budget
Animale grossed $71,924 worldwide on a $380 million budget.
Worldwide gross
$71.9K
- International
- $71.9K
- Budget
- $380M
Animale Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Animale.
Animale Also Known As
6 alternative titles, including “Bullgirl” and “Zwierzę”.
- Also known as
-
- Bullgirl
- Zwierzę
- Оборотень
- 兽性
- 아니말
- Zvijer
Seen Animale?
Movies Like Animale
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including L’Animale, The Beast and Beauty and the Dogs.
Animale FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of Animale, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Animale?
Animale runs 1 hour 38 minutes (98 minutes).
When was Animale released?
Animale was released on August 8, 2025.
Who directed Animale?
Animale was directed by Emma Benestan.
More films by Emma Benestan Who is in the cast of Animale?
Animale stars Oulaya Amamra as Nejma, Damien Rebattel as Tony and Elies-Morgan Admi-Bensellam as Jordan, among 14 credited actors.
How much did Animale make at the box office?
Animale grossed $71,924 worldwide on a budget of $380 million.
How is Animale rated?
Animale has 5.7/10 on IMDb, 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 56 on Metacritic and 61% on TMDB.
Does Animale have a post-credit scene?
No. Animale has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Animale in?
The original language of Animale is French.
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