L’ANIMALE New Auteurs

As graduation looms and her fellow teens brace for the future, Mati (breakout star Sophie Stockinger) is more content to race her motorbike with her all-male crew than follow in her mother’s footsteps and continue veterinarian training. She dons her helmet and motocross gear like armor, and indulges mischief and confrontation in her suburban surroundings as readily as her testosterone-driven pals. After an unwanted advance from her closest friend forces Mati to reassess her place within the group, an unexpected attraction to one of her enemies offers a glimpse into the simple and autonomous life she craves. The second feature from director/writer Katharina Mückstein is a masterfully perceptive and effervescent coming-of-age drama about finding oneself by embracing the caged beast within and feeding its most insatiable cravings. – Jesse Knight