Nocturnal Animals

In-between her work with Arrival from last year, Amy Adams found herself caught in midst of a failing marriage while haunted by the decisions from the past in Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals in one of the more intriguing films from 2016.

Having found success with 2009's A Single Man, it's surprising that it has taken Ford as long as he has to get back into the director's chair for his second feature length production. A Single Man was simplistic but well executed while benefiting from stylish visuals and perhaps a few hints in costume department. But this time Ford broke away from his designer brand combining Amy Adams' story of a broken artist with a far more gritty story within of Jake Gyllenhaal's relentless pursuit for revenge in the baron plains of Texas.

As with Ford's last film, Nocturnal Animals wisely takes a straightforward approach to its story while allowing time for its wider themes to develop in the background. It's subtle without feeling pretentious and a lot of credit is owed to Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal who are both fantastic. However, it's Michael Shannon as the hardened Texas lawmen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's unstable 'yocal' who really shine and add gravitas to the story within a story plot line.

Jumping between timelines, while avoiding spoilers, Ford balances each scene carefully and the result is a gripping experience that will linger in your mind long after watching. With that said, it does start a little on the crude side with the opening credits that will test some but Nocturnal Animals is one film I'd strongly recommend that will not disappoint those in search of good psychological thriller.