Animal Factory

"On the inside the rules are brutal and the stakes are high."

2000 1h 34m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 272

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Suburbanite Ron is spoiled, young and not overly worried about the marijuana charges leveled against him. But, after being made out to be a drug dealer, he faces a five-year jail sentence in San Quentin State Prison. Physically frail and unaccustomed to his rough surroundings, Ron is primed to fall victim to sexual predators and bullying guards – that is, until he's befriended by Earl, a veteran inmate who finds meaning in protecting the vulnerable new kid.

“On the inside the rules are brutal and the stakes are high.”

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Cast

Willem Dafoe
Earl Copen
Edward Furlong
Ron Decker
Danny Trejo
Vito
Mark Boone Junior
Paul Adams
Seymour Cassel
Lt. Seeman
Mickey Rourke
Jan the Actress
Tom Arnold
Buck Rowan
John Heard
James Decker

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Steve Buscemi
Writers: Edward Bunker, John Steppling
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Steve Buscemi, shot by Phil Parmet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Lurie. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kate Williams shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Willem Dafoe and Edward Furlong and Danny Trejo carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "On the inside the rules are brutal and the stakes are high.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Steve Buscemi directs. Phil Parmet behind the camera. John Lurie scores. Kate Williams cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
326 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Steve Buscemi, shot by Phil Parmet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Lurie. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Kate Williams shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Willem Dafoe and Edward Furlong and Danny Trejo carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "On the inside the rules are brutal and the stakes are high.".
9IMDB entry: tt0204137 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Phil Parmet
Original score: John Lurie
Editing: Kate Williams
Production design: Steve Rosenzweig
Costume design: Lisa Parmet
Makeup / hair: Adrienne Bearden
Sound: Reilly Steele
Stunt coordinator: John Perretti
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,600,000
Box office: $43,805
Return: 1% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Animal Factory (2000)

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Steve Buscemi

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-06-04
★ 7/10
I need a kid like I need a bad heart. A pretty kid is a ticket to trouble... and I'm too old to ask for that. The prison genre of film has a very chequered history, and the number of films are many, very much so, both good and bad. It has gotten to the stage where in this day and age we yearn and need more from our prison based films, something more substantial away from rape and violence, away from father figures, or of redemption and friendship bonds. Unfortunately Animal Factory relies on all the clichés of the genre to tell its tale, which is actually at odds with how good a film it is. Deftly performed by the principal cast members, mounted with a keen eye by director Steve Buscemi, and played with an authentic vibe that lures you in and keeps you hooked, but there is unfortunately nothing remotely new here. However, if you are not over familiar with the prison based arc of cinema? Then this delivers rewards, and such is the quality of production, it doesn't deserve to be marked down. 7/10
CinemaSerf2022-11-22
★ 6/10
Edward Furlong ("Ron") gets a bit more than he bargained for when his ostensibly routine drugs bust turns into allegations of dealing and a five year stretch in the federal prison. Young, green, and totally ill-equipped for his new environment, he is bound to be "popular" with his fellow inmates... Fortunately, the experienced and disillusioned "Earl" (Willem Dafoe) takes pity on him, and with his protection the young man finds prison life a little more bearable until, he hopes, he can convince a judge that he is worthy of parole. I am afraid we have all seen this before and this iteration is no great shakes. The unremarkable supporting cast deliver the standard mix of recalcitrant characters with depictions of the usual issues of incarcerated racism, bigotry, homophobia - all topped off with a rather weak conclusion that was all just a bit too convenient for all concerned. At ninety minutes, it felt longer and neither the acting nor the dialogue do much to liven the thing up from it's rather ponderous pace nor to really authenticate the scenario. Steve Buscemi directed it, let's hope his next effort is less derivative.