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Nocturnal Animals

Nocturnal Animals

When you love someone you can't just throw it away.

2016116 minRMidcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Director
Tom Ford
Starring
Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Susan Morrow receives a book manuscript from her ex-husband – a man she left 20 years earlier – asking for her opinion of his writing. As she reads, she is drawn into the fictional life of Tony Hastings, a mathematics professor whose family vacation turns violent.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Nocturnal Animals?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Nocturnal Animals to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Nocturnal Animals?

Nocturnal Animals earns 13 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Top 10% of films.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Nocturnal Animals worth watching?

Nocturnal Animals' Midcredits score is the 92nd percentile of all films, from 1.1M ratings across 6 sources. 81% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

92nd percentile

Better received than 92% of films

93rd percentile among Drama92nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)89th
Approval (how many liked it)91st

74 /100

89th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Drama88th percentile among 2010s

Critics 67 · Audience 74

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

81% liked it

91st percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Drama92nd percentile among 2010s
81% rated it 7–1019% rated it 1–6

Critics 74% · Audience 74%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 10 wins / 87 noms overall

  • WonGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Director - Motion Picture

99th percentile

1.1M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$23M
Opening weekend$493K
Domestic gross$11M
Worldwide gross$30M

Returned 1.3× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps acknowledge the film's technical polish and ambitious narrative structure, but disagree on whether its style outweighs its substance.

Fans praised

  • acting and cast chemistry (esp. Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams)
  • atmospheric direction and striking cinematography
  • layered story-within-a-story structure that rewards rewatches

Detractors panned

  • pretentious and confusing, lacking clear meaning
  • overwrought symbolism and self-importance
  • slow pacing and hollow characters

What stands out

Cinematography90

striking camera work and visual artistry praised

Acting85

praised as compelling; Gyllenhaal and Adams singled out

Atmosphere85

immersive and tense; both camps note dark tone

OriginalityDivisive80

praised for unique story structure; detractors see unoriginal metaphor

CharactersDivisive60

deep but underdeveloped; fans find layered, detractors find hollow

Plot and storyDivisive55

layered and thought-provoking; detractors see pretentious and confusing

PacingDivisive45

engaging at times but slow and dragging for detractors

EndingDivisive45

divisive, satisfying to some but frustrating to others

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 14 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 11 points higher than over-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is Nocturnal Animals like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsCold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film plays its material straight, with a cold, detached presentation in the frame and brutal intensity in the manuscript; it is sincere and never ironic.
The rideThe film maintains a pervasive sense of dread and tension, with the heaviest emotional weight landing in the ending when Susan is left waiting alone.
StructureThe film uses a frame story where Susan reads her ex-husband's manuscript, and the manuscript events are intercut with nonlinear flashbacks to their past.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe layered narrative and unresolved ending leave the viewer pondering the moral consequences and carrying a lingering sense of loss.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe manuscript story is a tragedy of obsession and revenge, while the frame story echoes that loss; the film's structure uses these two arcs to explore regret.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGuiltMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% (this title) · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Guilt · 3% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Marriage · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is driven by Susan's guilt over her past treatment of Edward and the manuscript itself is a meditation on guilt, regret, and the search for redemption.
StanceThe film interrogates guilt and the possibility of redemption without settling on a clear answer, maintaining an ambiguous stance toward its primary theme.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanRuralRealistic
Orchestral classicalAmbientForeground music · original score · Abel Korzeniowski
SettingThe frame story is set in a wealthy Los Angeles estate; the manuscript story is set in rural Texas along a desolate highway.
MusicThe score is lush and melancholic, underscoring the emotional weight of both the frame and manuscript narratives.

Content guide

Is Nocturnal Animals okay for kids?

R

Nocturnal Animals is rated R: “Rated R for violence, menace, graphic nudity, and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (73/100), sexual content at intense (75/100), language at intense (74/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (37/100) and frightening material at severe (87/100). Overall it is heavier than 81% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 24 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Belgium18
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyKids+13
  • LTN-16
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SK15
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Türkiye16+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 89% of all filmsHeavier than 81% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 54%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 93%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 63%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 39%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 89%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: frightening material, sexual content, language, and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Nocturnal Animals have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Nocturnal Animals?

Cast

6 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Aaron Taylor-Johnson won the Globe for this film.

Amy Adams
as Susan Morrow
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jake Gyllenhaal
as Tony Hastings
BAFTA nominee: BAFTA Award nomination — Best Leading ActorTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Shannon
as Bobby Andes
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
as Ray Marcus
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Isla Fisher
as Laura Hastings
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Ellie Bamber
as India Hastings
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Armie Hammer
as Hutton Morrow
Karl Glusman
as Lou
Robert Aramayo
as Turk
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Laura Linney
as Anne Sutton
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Nocturnal Animals?

Movies like Nocturnal Animals include A Single Man (2009), Transsiberian (2008) and One Hour Photo (2002). Of the 12 closest matches, half are films about guilt, and several are revenge thrillers.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its story type: obsession. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Nocturnal Animals?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.