The Boneyard

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American Animals (2018) - 3/5

This is a solidly made, small-scale heist movie that not many people have heard of. It’s more along the lines of a university coming-of-age drama with elements of stoner shenanigans, which is an unusual setting for the heist genre. Even more unique is the objective of the theft: rare, extremely large books. The story also keeps intercutting to interviews with the real people that the film is based on, which very effectively grounds it in reality. For all of that, however, the pacing is aimless and there’s a pointlessness underlying the commendable filmmaking.

Closest comparison: It’s like Orange County by way of The Big Short.

Setting: University Shenanigans
Plot: Novice Heist
Tone: Coming-of-Age DocuDrama