SXSW Preview: American Animal

As we all run from theater to theater this week, checking our phones to see how many bars we’ve got or looking for an outlet to plug in our laptop, one thing is certain: no generation has ever faced the problems we are facing now. For better or worse, today’s society is in a unique place our grandparents could never have imagined. So where do we go from here? American Animal addresses that question, taking a few bored twentysomethings as its test subjects.

Jimmy (Matt D'Elia) is a longhaired eccentric with an unnamed terminal illness and a tenuous grip on what constitutes “civil behavior.” James (Brendan Fletcher), his best friend and roommate, has a better understanding of these things, but spends most of his time deferring to Jimmy’s delusions. On the surface, they have it pretty good. They share the perfect loft; they have pretty girls hanging around. They do what they want, when they want. Until one day when James decides to get a job. Is this a betrayal of their lifestyle, as Jimmy claims, or just the next step toward adulthood?

While this film doesn’t have any "big stars" attached to it, the idea alone is enough to get us excited. Writer/director/editor D’Elia’s performance as the (possibly) unhinged Jimmy is intense, colorful, and entertaining as hell. We think this could be the chance to get in on the ground floor and witness some real undiscovered talent actually being discovered.

American Animal plays Monday, March 14 at 6:30pm at the State Theater, with additional screenings Tuesday, March 15 at 11am (Alamo Lamar A) and Friday, March 18 at 6:30pm (State Theater). For the full schedule, go to SXSW.com.