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Animalia review: Intriguing sci-fi thriller, shame about the aliens

Faith, freedom and spirituality are key to a well-made sci-fi psychological thriller, Animalia. But writer-director Sofia Alaoui leaves the aliens dangling in an unsatisfying ending

By Davide Abbatescianni

24 February 2023

New Scientist Default Image

Oumaïma Barid appears in Animalia by Sofia Alaoui.

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Animalia

Sofia Alaoui (director)

Sundance Film Festival premier

Animalia, a French-Moroccan-Qatari co-production that premiered at last month’s Sundance Film Festival, opens with an intriguing set-up. A deeply pious pregnant woman of modest origins, Itto (Oumaïma Barid), looks forward to a day of quiet when her rich husband Amine (Mehdi Dehbi) and his family go away on business.

On the same day, a mysterious state of emergency is declared nationwide. Amine remains stuck somewhere on the other side of Morocco, while …

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