In a world hit by a wave of mutations transforming humans into animals, François does everything he can to save his wife. As some of the creatures disappear into a nearby forest, he and their son embark on a quest that will change their lives. A film by Thomas Cailley, starring Romain Duris, Paul Kircher, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Tom Mercier, Billie Blain, and Saadia Bentaïeb.

The world is hit by a mysterious disease that gradually mutates humans into human-animal hybrids. Its origin remains a mystery, and scientists are scrambling to find a cure. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest the mutation can be stopped. As far as everybody knows, once the transformation starts, it’s irreversible.

François Marindaze (Romain Duris) takes his son Émile (Paul Kircher) to Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, where his wife Lana, is being treated after she mutated and hit Émile. Lana will be sent to Centre Sud-Ouest in the south of France for further treatments. François finds a chef job near the center – and relocates with Émile and their dog Albert, in order to visit his wife regularly. François is hopeful that one day they will find a cure for his wife. Émile, however, is less enthusiastic, asserting that there are many diseases in this world that cannot be cured.

The morning after a heavy rainstorm night, François receives devastating news. The vehicle transporting the patients, including his wife, had an accident and fell into a lake. There are some casualties, but Officer Julia Izquierdo (Adèle Exarchopoulos) assures François that his wife is not among the dead, but she is missing. She could be anywhere in the vast forest surrounding the lake. The police will assemble a search team to scour the area for all missing patients.

In physical education class, Émile experiences something unusual for the first time. During a game of tug-of-war, he unknowingly exhibits incredible strength, effortlessly pulling against four people on the opposite end of the rope. At the end of the game, he notices a claw emerging from one of his fingernails. Panicked, Émile excuses himself and quickly rushes home.

At home, Émile uses clippers to painfully pull out the strange claw. He then searches his body for any other abnormalities, finding a clearly visible protrusion on his spine. He understands the terrifying consequences if anyone discovers his mutation. Fear and frustration grip him, he decides to keep his mutation a secret, choosing not to confide in anyone, not even his own father.

Le Règne Animal is a beautifully crafted science fiction film directed by French filmmaker Thomas Cailley. It features a heart-wrenching story set in a dystopian world where humans begin transforming into animal hybrids, gradually losing their identities and human communication abilities. Paul Kircher delivers a stellar performance as Émile, a frustrated teenager coping with the loss of his mother while trying to fit in with his new environment and new friends. However, everything changes when he discovers that he, too, is infected with the mysterious disease. Time is running out before humans turn against him. Romain Duris delivers an incredible performance as a father determined to protect his son against all odds. The heartwarming yet complex father-son relationship, marked by both love and conflict, proves to be one of the film’s most compelling aspects.

The film boasts breathtaking cinematography by David Cailley, his camera weaving through the landscape with an eye for both stark beauty and unsettling tension. The haunting score by Andrea Laszlo De Simone complements the visuals perfectly, its ethereal melodies echoing the characters’ inner turmoil and the film’s overarching sense of unease.

The production design is equally impressive, creating a visually stunning experience, where the natural and the fantastical seamlessly blend. Another remarkable character is Fix (Tom Mercier), a human-bird hybrid who initially clashes with Émile before forging an unlikely bond as they both experience metamorphosis.

LE RÈGNE ANIMAL premiered at Festival de Cannes on 17 May 2023 in Un Certain Regard section. The film theatrically released in France on 4 October.