By Tom Long
The Detroit News
J is sitting in his apartment on a couch, watching a game show on TV. His mother is sprawled next to him, dead of a heroin overdose. Things don’t get much better for J (James Frecheville) in the dark and mesmerizing Australian crime saga “Animal Kingdom.”
Still in high school, he goes to live with his manipulative grandmother, Janine (the chillingly sweet Jacki Weaver), and her low-level thug sons, and in no time finds himself entangled in the killing of two innocent cops. J had nothing to do with the killing, but suddenly his own murderous family is turning on him even as a wily police investigator (Guy Pearce) has figured out he’s the key to solving the case (which itself was brought on by a shocking bit of police violence).
J can’t even turn to his innocent girlfriend (Laura Wheelwright) for solace, fearing he’ll endanger her. Those fears are well-founded.