Get ready for a wild ride set in the stunning, yet deadly, Camargue region of the South of France. A new film, Animale, will ensnare you in a nightmare of violence, vengeance, and transformation in this body horror.
Bull-Running, Betrayal, and a Dark Transformation
In the Camargue, there’s a famous, long-standing tradition of bullfighting, but with a twist. Local youths participate in an elegant yet dangerous challenge, showcasing agility and dominance without killing the animals. Among them is Nejma, an intrepid 22-year-old with big dreams of winning the annual competition. As the only woman working on the cattle ranch, she trains tirelessly to prove herself equal among the men, both in and outside of the arena.
The ranchers share a deep respect for the bulls, but things take a terrifying turn when a loose bull threatens the community of riders, and young men start turning up dead. A hunt to find and kill the creature begins, but Nejma fears for the bull, and soon, she begins a dark, mysterious transformation of her own.
A Brutal and Disorienting Horror Fable
This is the sophomore feature of French filmmaker Emma Benestan, co-written by Julie Debiton. The cast includes Oulaya Amamra and Damien Rebattel.
Animale was nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival! Critics are already calling it “a brutal disorienting horror fable burning with feminine anger” (AWFJ.org) and a thrilling entry into the body-horror subgenre. Get ready for a unique and visceral horror experience when Animale arrives on VOD and Digital on August 8, 2025.
