You Animal also known as Hayop Ka! (You Son of a Bitch!) premiered on Netflix on 28th October 2020. The Philippine adult animated romantic comedy film is directed by Avid Liongoren and the voice cast includes Angelica Panganiban, Robin Padilla, Empoy Marquez, and Sam Milby.
Pussies and Bitches!
You Animal revolves around the life of Nimfa, a cat who works as a salesperson at a perfume store in a mall along with her best friend. Her boyfriend Roger, a hunk, works as a janitor in the same mall. Their relation is on the bumpy road from the very start – stress about income, nothing to eat other than the usual roadside stew which they eat on their birthday, anniversary, and every day. Nimfa is not happy. She needs stability in her life, she wishes to be like those couples in films who smoke and chill after sex! And importantly, she wants to be rich.
Soon after, she meets a rich and handsome man named Sir Inigo while she is on duty as a perfume salesgirl (salescat?), and something starts to blossom between them.! And now Nimfa is stuck between two men – one rich and one just hanging by the thread! Who will she choose? Furthermore, as she makes the choice, what follows is a series of incidents that teach her several important life lessons.
In its storyline, yes, the film is a love story but it has more to it. The film is self-aware and aims at showing more than a love triangle – it is about human social standing, emotions, and dilemma through the lens of the animal world. You Animal, in its themes and ideas, is real and relatable and roots itself into a narrative that is common and does not feel alien even when it is in the animal city.
The film does not add unnecessary layers to its narrative, it’s smooth sailing and easy on your head. Consequently, it also makes itself a visual treat for the viewers with its animation. Each and every detail of the film works out well – even the store boards and hoardings!
You Animal does not waste your time but leaves you wanting for more by the end of it. The 73-minutes-long film is a treat for its viewers in terms of setting, animation, storyline, and details. According to producer Manny Angeles and lead animator Jether Amar, You Animal took four years to make, with one sequence taking months to finish. And well, we cannot deny that the end result is worth it.
Stream It or Skip It
STREAM IT! You Animal aka Hayop Ka! is a worth-watching film and is enjoyable overall. The film is aware of the topics it uses and it does not get non-sensical at any moment. There are visual gags in every corner of the film. You would really have to pause the frame to catch every pun in the film and it starts from the very moment the film opens.
You Animal is now streaming on Netflix.
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