Animalia

I am a big fan of alien "invasion" movies that don't feature bug-eyed ET's with ray guns confronting the military might of the world -- Annihilation and Arrival are among my favorites for this reason.

Animalia is firmly in this camp -- a gentle, meditative film that uses the backdrop of the deliberately vague and non-specific arrival of an extraterrestrial presence on Earth to make some truly poignant commentary on class, gender, religion, and the nature of reality. This movie unfolds slowly and is more interested in philosophy and metaphysics than special effects. Pace your expectations accordingly and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The sci-fi element remains in the background of this film. The focus of the story relates to how the priveleged in Moroccan society (the 1%) experience reality differently from the majority, to the point of even percieving spiritual life differently. The director uses the sci-fi element to create an existential threat to society, forcing people to confront their beliefs about the unseen world and even other people. Overall, it was a suspenseful and interesting story, with beautiful shots of Moroccan deserts and rural life. Through this story of a young, pregnant woman separated from her upper class family, the director hints at deeper questions: Is religion a luxury most can't afford?

What is our connection to the unseen world, even for those that don't really believe in it?

Is this trip a voyage into a different possible explanation of life ? Is this really a trip or oh it's life snake forever devouring itself as it rebirths itself ... Is this the explanation of the process or is the explanation .. the process ? Watching yourself watch urself ... to see nothing and everything. While we watch externally the rich outreach the poor .

While the poor are actually experiencing the rich flavor of sand and salty sweetness of life . Blood and pain . Her rich life is a prison of of almost every make believe except the coldness of lonliness and her raw helplessness and love of her gilded cage ... that she can't seem to shake or ...wont.