Animal Behaviour is a Canadian animated short film directed by Alison Snowden and David Fine. The movie follows a therapy session of few anthropomorphic animals, who are facing various emotional and psychological issues. The main protagonist is a dog named Ben, who serves as a group therapist to the animals. The movie begins with an introductory session where we meet the animals. There is a praying mantis with a cannibalistic attitude and anger management issues, a leech searching for a meaningful relationship, a pig with uncontrollable urges to eat eggs, a bird with a fear of flying, and a gorilla with an Oedipus complex. All of them are struggling with their unique problems and are trying to come to terms with them.
During one of their therapy sessions, a new animal arrives in the form of a bat. He is a perfectionist and is unable to sleep, leading him to become frustrated and stressed out. The group tries to help him overcome his sleep issues by using various relaxation techniques. However, their efforts only make him more anxious, and he eventually explodes in anger.
In another session, the group tries to help the praying mantis overcome his anger issues. They teach him meditation and help him find ways to control his impulses. As the session progresses, the praying mantis seems to make progress, but ultimately relapses into his cannibalistic ways.
The pig's urge to eat eggs is explored in another session. The group tries to uncover the root cause of his problem and discovers that it is linked to childhood memories of eating eggs with his mother. After confronting his mother about it, the pig is able to move past his obsession and finally eat eggs without feeling guilty.
The gorilla's Oedipus complex is the focus of the final session. The group explores the reasoning behind his desire to mate with his mother and try to find ways for him to move past it. In a poignant moment, the gorilla finally accepts that his mother will never feel the same way about him and understands that it is time to move on.
Throughout the movie, Ben provides a voice of reason and helps the group to work through their issues. He is the common thread that helps the animals to bond and support each other in their quest for emotional well-being. The therapy sessions are highly entertaining and offer a unique perspective on the animal world.
The animation is top-notch and the characters are beautifully rendered. Each animal has a distinct personality that is expertly portrayed through their actions and dialogue. The movie is incredibly funny, with several laugh-out-loud moments, but is also highly emotional, with moments of powerful introspection.
Overall, Animal Behaviour is an incredibly well-crafted movie that offers a unique and entertaining take on group therapy. Perfectly blending humor and emotional depth, the movie is a must-see for anyone looking for a thought-provoking and entertaining cinematic experience.
Animal Behaviour is a 2019 animated movie with a runtime of 14 minutes.
