Taglines: Love is never picture perfect.
Zoe is an almost 30-year-old woman who owns a unsuccessful waxing business on the same street as Paul’s adult video store. She lives in a tiny home on her landlord’s land, however is unable to pay her rent in a timely manner. She takes a Polaroid of every person that she has sex with.
Paul’s marriage is struggling. His wife, Jane, is a serious lawyer and supports their family. They haven’t had sex in three months, and she suggests that he have an affair, leaving him confused and he rejects the suggestion. Zoe attends a friend, Lana’s, wedding, and sees Paul there. The pair later meet when she goes into his store. Paul expresses interest in the concept of an affair to Jane after meeting Zoe. Jane also attempts to have different sexual rendezvous but each of them ends with her getting emotional and crying.
Zoe meets Jane after attending Lana’s baby shower, but is overwhelmed by the fact that he has three kids and has sex with the bartender there. Jane and Paul continue to have moments that appear to be periods of sexual reconciliation, however Jane backs out each time. Paul and Zoe continue to see each other and build a rapport, eventually having sex. Zoe’s best friend Claire points out that Zoe waited especially longer to sleep with him than she usually does. After having sex, Zoe reflects on the fact that he has three kids and a wife and feels baited by him. He consoles her, however she remains conflicted.
Jane goes by Zoe’s store to book a waxing appointment out of curiosity, after feeling as though she is the one that Paul is sleeping with. She is passive and reveals that Lana and her husband are already having problems and that he has been cheating on her. Jane breaks down crying, and reveals that she has been having panic attacks regularly. She’s embarrassed and quickly leaves after the appointment is finished.
Some time later, Lana has given birth to a baby, and she invites Zoe, Paul, Jane, Claire, and Claire’s fiancé Justin over for dinner. Paul makes aggressive comments about Jane’s parenting advice, creating tension and awkwardness. Jane responds with comments on Paul’s work ethic and how he is not the primary provider for the family. Following the dinner, Zoe ends all contact with Paul. Jane later reveals to Paul that she paid someone to have sex with her.
After their son goes missing, Jane and Paul unveil their frustrations on each other. Jane says she feels as though she did her best and is disappointed in her “shitty wife” reputation. Paul snaps back, saying that her honesty is just a way for her to hurt people.
Social Animals is a 2018 American comedy film, written and directed by Theresa Bennett in her directorial debut. It stars Noël Wells, Josh Radnor, Aya Cash, Carly Chaikin, Fortune Feimster and Samira Wiley. The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand on June 1, 2018, by Paramount Pictures.
Social Animals (2018)
Directed by: Theresa Bennett
Starring: Carly Chaikin, Aya Cash, Josh Radnor, Samira Wiley, Noël Wells, Fortune Feimster, Adam Shapiro, Charlotte Delaney Riggs, Tristan Riggs, Gary Teague, Mindy Raymond, James Hal Hardy
Screenplay by: Theresa Bennett
Production Design by: James Wiley Fowler
Cinematography by: Sandra Valde-Hansen
Film Editing by: Yaniv Dabach, Jonathan Melin
Costume Design by: Laura Hamilton
Art Direction by: Diz Jeppe, Nazanin Shirazi
Music by: Greg Bernall
MPAA Rating: R for strong and crude sexual content, language, and drug use.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: June 1, 2018
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