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The opening credits of Nocturnal Animals are perhaps the most bizarre and most striking I have ever seen. The film begins with a series of slow-motion shots of morbidly obese women dancing half-naked against a startlingly red backdrop. We come to learn slowly that it is part of an opening exhibit at an art gallery, referred to as Junk America. The jiggling exposed flesh of the participants in the exhibit elicits a mixture of fascination and discomfort from the audience. And that is clearly the intention of the director as he cements the tone of the story that follows.

Nocturnal Animals is written and directed by Tom Ford, a renowned fashion designer who first dipped his toes into cinematic waters with his critically acclaimed debut feature A Single Man, starring Colin Firth in 2009. Nocturnal Animals raises the bar again for designers-turned-directors, as it beautifully combines story, character and visuals into a solid piece of film. Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal star as ex-wife and ex-husband, who have been on silent terms with each other for the past 19 years. Working as a reputable art gallery owner, Susan is unlike any role Adams has played before. Draped in gothic dresses and glittering in jewels and dark eyeshadow, Susan’s appearance undoubtedly becomes Ford’s opportunity to exercise his sartorial talents. Gyllenhaal’s character, Edward, unexpectedly sends on a proof of his eponymous novel to his estranged wife and the film slowly unravels two narratives, one within Susan’s reading of Tony’s novel, and the other of their previous life together as a couple.

Nocturnal Animals doesn’t allow the audience to breathe, even for a minute. Each scene is laced with a sense of foreboding and the low, rumbling score doesn’t ease our discomfort. The narrative set within the space of the novel is a crime thriller of sorts. Edward writes himself (renamed as Tony) and his wife and daughter into a fictitious setting in the barren Texan countryside, driving in the middle of the night. They are forced to pull over by three redneck hooligans, led by Ray (played by a wonderfully menacing Aaron Taylor Johnson) and Tony is forced to watch helplessly as they steal his car with his wife and daughter trapped in the backseat, hurtling towards their deaths. Conversely, the second narrative focuses on a retrospective Susan as she struggles to come to terms with the veiled meanings behind this story and what it says about her relationship with her ex-husband. What is most commendable about this feature is that neither of the narratives drag or lose interest. They complement each other well and as Tony comes closer to seeking his revenge on Ray with the help of Detective Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon in perhaps his most fulfilling role yet), Susan begins to lose her grip on reality.

At its heart, Nocturnal Animals is a classic story of revenge. However, the thematic language of the film reaches far beyond simple revenge; weaving in between a discussion of religion, creativity and culpability. The entire cast is superb, the cinematography is astounding and the costume and set design deserve high praise too. The film definitely warrants a re-watch, or three, not because it contains a complicated set of ideas but because there is so much to marvel at and enjoy.