Animol
| Animol | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ashley Walters |
| Written by | Nick Love |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Tasha Back |
| Edited by | Danielle Palmer |
| Music by | Swindle |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | StudioCanal |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Animol is a 2026 British drama film directed by Ashley Walters in his feature length debut, and written by Nick Love. It stars Tut Nyuot, Vladyslav Baliuk, Stephen Graham and Sharon Duncan-Brewster.
The film had its world premiere at the Perspectives section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival on 14 February 2026, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film. It received positive reviews from critics.
Cast
- Tut Nyuot as Troy
- Vladyslav Baliuk as Krystian
- Sekou Diaby as Dion
- Stephen Graham as Claypole
- Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Joy
- Ryan Dean as Mason
Production
Development
The film was developed by Film4 in collaboration with Joi Productions. It is written by Nick Love and marks the feature length directorial of Ashley Walters. It was produced by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor and Tom Hawkins in association with Walter’s production company SLNDA and Love’s company Rogue State.
Casting
The cast is led by Tut Nyuot and Vladyslav Baliuk, with Stephen Graham and Sharon Duncan-Brewster in supporting roles. The film is working with the Synergy Theatre Project and Intermission Youth Theatre, to give opportunities as supporting artists to those considered of potential risk of entering the criminal justice system.
Filming
Principal photography began in January 2025.
Release
It premiered at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2026.
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigns the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on four critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Accolades
The film received seven nominations, including Best Debut Director Film for Walters and Breakthrough Producer for Tom Hawkins at the British Independent Film Awards.
References
- ↑ "Animol (15A)". Irish Film Classification Office. August 11, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Animol | Berlinale". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ↑ Ntim, Zac (January 29, 2025). "Ashley Walters Sets Debut Directorial Feature 'Animol'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 6, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Ashley Walters begins production on his debut feature film 'Animol'". Sky. January 29, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
- ↑ Gesingser, Gabrielle (January 29, 2025). "Ashley Walters begins production on his debut feature film 'Animol'". kftv. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Ashley Walters starts work with 'Animol' intentions". Voice. January 29, 2025. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
- ↑ Ritman, Alex (January 29, 2025). "Stephen Graham Among Cast of 'Top Boy' Star Ashley Walters' Directorial Debut 'Animol' as Production Begins (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 29, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
- ↑ Keslassy, Elsa; Shafer, Ellise (January 20, 2026). "Berlin Film Festival Full Lineup: 'Rosebush Pruning' Starring Riley Keough and Callum Turner, Channing Tatum's 'Josephine' and More". Variety. Archived from the original on January 21, 2026. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ Dalton, Ben (August 11, 2026). "UK-Ireland film cinema release dates: latest updates for 2026". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on August 27, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Animol | Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Animol Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved November 11, 2026.
- ↑ Ntim, Zac (November 3, 2026). "British Independent Film Awards: 'Elsinore' Leads Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 3, 2026.
External links
- Animol at IMDb
- Animol at Rotten Tomatoes