Based on the beloved queer novel by Justin Torres, We the Animals is a moving coming-of-age story directed by Jeremiah Zagar.
It centers on Jonah, who turns 10 at the film’s onset, and his tumultuous journey coming to terms with his sexuality and masculinity in a mixed white and Puerto Rican household in upstate New York.
The tale is loosely inspired by events experienced by Torres and his family.
The film, released 7 years after his book, has gained relevance in an era when the president of the US refers to marginalized people as “animals.”
“I wasn’t surprised either because I did grow up in this,” Torres said. “It’s all there. Those resentments and that racism, that was all nascent where I grew up. It’s not like everybody was a monster where I grew up, but there were enough.”
