There is no greater secondary thrill than watching someone pull off a high-risk heist. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have mastered this, pulling its users in with a number of true heist documentaries and fictional series and films. Whether the basis of the story is real or not, most hope to see the thieves get away with it.
Preceding Amazon Prime's mystery, Tell Me Your Secrets or Netflix's Money Heist is TNT's drama series Animal Kingdom. Like any crime heist series before it, Animal Kingdom bonds a group of people in their quest to live lavishly. This drama doesn't bond a group of friends who came together by chance, but a family who was built upon making a living this way. Animal Kingdom continues to differ from other crime heists as they don't stick to robbing banks and stores, and will happily rob planes, army bases, churches, and anything else that would give an adrenaline junkie their fix.
Since its debut in 2016, Animal Kingdom has continued to keep things interesting outside of the crimes the Cody family commits. The series is full of action, drama, romance, suspense, and of course, crime. Animal Kingdom stars Ellen Barkin, Finn Cole, Shawn Hatosy, Jake Weary, Ben Robson, and Scott Speedman as the various members of the Cody clan. The family band together to complete their intricately woven crime jobs. They are led by their matriarch, Janine "Smurf" Cody (Barkin), who has trained and continues to lead the family in their intricate criminal activities. Even her strange relationship with her boys isn't enough to keep the troublesome men out of the problems they create for themselves.
Animal Kingdom begins with Joshua "J" Cody (Cole) moving to Oceanside, California to live with his estranged grandmother and uncles following his mother's overdose. Amazed by the high-scale life his estranged family has, J quickly realizes why his mother has kept him so far away from them. Andrew "Pope" Cody (Hatosy) is the eldest of Smurf's sons and Julia's (J's mother) twin. Not long after J's arrival in Oceanside, Pope is released from prison following a robbery that went sideways. It becomes clear that Pope has mental disturbances that affect his interactions with those around him, making it unclear what he'll do next. Smurf attempts to keep him under control by slipping medication into his food but nothing gets past Pope.
Even though Pope is the oldest of Smurf's children, he's not the one who helps call the shots. That role falls to Barry "Baz" Blackwell (Speedman), a man Smurf took in as a boy. Despite being trained and raised by Smurf the way all the other boys were, Baz holds himself in higher regard than the others because of his role. His attitude (and their shared sense of entitlement) often causes tension with the other brothers. Unlike the other Cody boys, Baz has a family of his own. His daughter Lena and partner Catherine cause tension between Baz and Pope because of Pope's own history with Catherine. While all the men are wary of J's presence in the house at first, Baz is the most standoffish. Because J never knew his father, he begins to find evidence around the house that suggests Baz's attitude is for a specific reason.
Smurf's second son, Craig (Robson), is also shown to be a loose cannon, much like Pope. The difference is that Craig's instability is due to his drug addiction. His off-and-on relationship with his drug dealer doesn't help his addiction, but as long as he remains ready for jobs, Smurf isn't one to cut him off. Smurf's youngest boy is Deran (Weary), who appears to be one of the more logical of the bunch. Welding secrets of his own, Deran has a suspicious presence that leaves J on edge. As J attempts to find his footing in his newfound life of crime, things continue to complicate themselves once law enforcement approaches him. Aware of the Codys' illegal activities but unable to do anything without solid proof, officers hope that J will be willing to rat on his estranged family. Already feeling like an outsider, J struggles on whether he should abide by his late mother's wish to keep the family at arm's length or if he should assimilate into the Cody family for good.
This series is based on the 2010 Australian crime drama of the same title and premise. The film stars Jacki Weaver, Ben Mendelsohn, Sullivan Stapleton, James Frecheville, Joel Edgerton, and Luke Ford. While the series does not follow the film exactly, the core of the story remains the same. Complete with five seasons and its sixth and final season expected to premiere next year, there are plenty of high-stakes heists that go hand in hand with the drama brought upon by the Codys. Whether they're mountain biking off the mountains, diving off a bridge, jumping out of a plane, or robbing a boat, it's never a dull moment with the Cody clan.
As extensive as their plans for each job may be, it's rare to see one go off without a hitch. Whether one of the Codys is injured, the haul ends up not being what they anticipated, or they cross paths with someone new, it's hard to anticipate what will happen next. Their high-risk, exciting lifestyle doesn't come without consequence, leading some of the boys to wonder what a life outside of crime would look like. With a mother like Smurf, it's hard to see her releasing her grip on the family long enough for any of them to get away. With family drama bubbling amongst all members of the Cody family, it doesn't take much for something to push one of them over the edge. It's only when one falls that the remaining members are forced to band together and become a stronger unit for whatever storm comes their way.
Animal Kingdom is now streaming on Amazon Prime.