Only the Animals (2019) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

Interlocking affairs, a romance scam, and mistaken identities connect several lives to Evelyne's disappearance and death.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

Affairs Beneath the Snow

Alice's affair with Joseph unfolds as Evelyne's disappearance becomes local news. The Faranges conceal what they know, while Michel's confrontation with Alice deepens the household's tension.

Key Events

• Rolex Crosses Abidjan — Rolex rides through Abidjan and asks for Papa Sanou. Location: Abidjan
• Alice Visits Joseph — Alice conducts insurance business with Joseph and they make love. Characters: Alice Farange, Michel's wife, Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer Location: Joseph's sheep farm
• Evelyne Reported Missing — A broadcast reports Evelyne's disappearance and warns of a blizzard. Characters: Alice Farange, Michel's wife, Michel Farange Location: Farange home
• Cédric Questions the Faranges — Cédric asks about the missing woman; the Faranges withhold what they know. Characters: Gendarme Cédric Vigier, Alice Farange, Michel's wife, Michel Farange Location: Farange home
• Michel Confronts Alice — Michel confronts Alice about her affair with Joseph. Characters: Alice Farange, Michel's wife, Michel Farange Location: Farange home
• Joseph's Dog Is Found Dead — Alice finds Joseph's dog shot; Joseph angrily orders her to leave. Characters: Alice Farange, Michel's wife, Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer Location: Joseph's barn
• Michel Disappears — Michel leaves; Alice and Cédric find his empty car. Characters: Alice Farange, Michel's wife, Michel Farange, Gendarme Cédric Vigier Location: Farange farm

The Farmer's Hidden Dead

Joseph's perspective reveals that he found Evelyne's body and concealed it in his barn. His hallucinations and fear of discovery intensify until he takes the body to a sinkhole and dies.

Key Events

• Joseph Finds Evelyne's Body — Joseph discovers Evelyne's body behind his farmhouse. Characters: Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer, Evelyne Ducat Location: Behind Joseph's farmhouse
• The Hay Maze — Joseph hides Evelyne's body inside a maze made of hay bales. Characters: Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer, Evelyne Ducat Location: Joseph's barn
• Joseph Imagines Evelyne Alive — Joseph talks to the body and hallucinates Evelyne forgiving him. Characters: Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer, Evelyne Ducat Location: Joseph's barn
• Cédric Suspects the Barn — The dog's barking at Evelyne's body arouses Cédric's suspicion during a visit. Characters: Gendarme Cédric Vigier, Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer Location: Joseph's farm
• Joseph Shoots the Dog — When the dog finds and bites at the body, Joseph shoots it. Characters: Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer Location: Joseph's barn
• The Body Enters the Sinkhole — Joseph carries the body to a sinkhole, drops it in, and jumps after it. Characters: Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer, Evelyne Ducat Location: Remote sinkhole

Marion's Pursuit

Marion's affair with Evelyne develops into an intense attachment. After Evelyne rejects her, Michel mistakes Marion for the online identity Amandine, exposing the danger created by his scam.

Key Events

• Marion Meets Evelyne — Marion flirts with Evelyne, beginning their passionate affair. Characters: Marion, young lover, Evelyne Ducat Location: Seaside restaurant in Sète
• Marion Seeks Evelyne — Marion hitchhikes to find Evelyne; Michel sees her while driving with Alice. Characters: Marion, young lover, Evelyne Ducat, Michel Farange, Alice Farange, Michel's wife Location: Road to Evelyne's country house
• Evelyne Ends the Affair — Evelyne confronts Marion, slaps her, and ends their relationship. Characters: Marion, young lover, Evelyne Ducat Location: Campsite mobile home
• Michel Mistakes Marion for Amandine — Cédric questions Marion; Michel later calls her Amandine, and she gives him a bloody nose. Characters: Michel Farange, Marion, young lover, Gendarme Cédric Vigier Location: Campsite

A Scam's Fatal Consequences

The Abidjan storyline explains how Armand impersonated Amandine and defrauded Michel. Michel's mistaken belief that Evelyne is pursuing him leads to her murder, while later revelations connect the characters' concealed lives.

Key Events

• Armand Builds the Scam — Armand poses as Amandine online and extracts money from Michel. Location: Abidjan
• Michel Strangles Evelyne — Michel mistakes Evelyne for a creditor and strangles her, leaving her body at Joseph's farm. Characters: Michel Farange, Evelyne Ducat Location: Near the campsite
• The Scam Is Exposed — Police explain the scam to Michel, who refuses to press charges. Characters: Michel Farange Location: Abidjan
• Michel Confronts Armand — Michel tracks down Armand but gains little satisfaction from confronting him. Characters: Michel Farange Location: Abidjan
• Guillaume's Hidden Connection — The ending reveals Guillaume as Monique's wealthy French benefactor. Characters: Guillaume Ducat Location: Evelyne's country house

Story Breakdown

• Alice and Joseph — Alice's secret relationship with Joseph strains her marriage and intersects with the missing-woman investigation.
  • Farmhouse Affair — Alice visits Joseph for insurance business, and they become lovers.
  • Marital Suspicion — Michel confronts Alice about her affair, and their household grows more tense.
• Evelyne's Disappearance — Evelyne's absence prompts local inquiries while the people around her conceal crucial facts.
  • Abandoned Car — Alice has seen Evelyne's abandoned car but tells Cédric nothing.
  • Police Questions — Cédric questions the Faranges and later interviews Marion.
• Joseph's Concealment — Joseph hides Evelyne's body and becomes increasingly overwhelmed by guilt and hallucinations.
  • Hay Bale Maze — Joseph conceals the body in a maze built inside his barn.
  • Sinkhole Descent — Joseph drops the body into a remote sinkhole and jumps after it.
• Marion and Evelyne — Their passionate affair becomes painful as Marion seeks a deeper commitment than Evelyne wants.
  • Sète Romance — Marion and Evelyne begin an affair at a seaside restaurant and continue it at a hotel.
  • Campsite Breakup — Evelyne ends the affair at Marion's mobile home after Marion pursues her.
• The Amandine Scam — Armand's false online identity draws Michel into a costly romance scam.
  • Online Impersonation — Armand chats with Michel as Amandine and sends photographs of a young European woman.
  • Growing Demands — Armand asks Michel for increasingly large sums while the scam becomes harder to maintain.
• Mistaken Identity — Michel's misunderstanding of the scam's threat leads to violence against people connected to it.
  • Marion Misidentified — Michel calls Marion Amandine at the campsite, and she reacts with fear and hits him.
  • Evelyne Killed — Michel mistakes Evelyne for a creditor and strangles her.
• Aftermath and Connections — The scam is exposed, Michel seeks Armand, and the final revelation links Guillaume to Monique.
  • Scam Exposed — The Ivorian police explain the fraud to Michel, who refuses to press charges.
  • Guillaume Revealed — The ending reveals Guillaume as Monique's wealthy French benefactor.

Directed by

Dominik Moll

Key Cast

• Denis Ménochet — Michel Farange
• Laure Calamy — Alice Farange, Michel's wife
• Damien Bonnard — Joseph Bonnefille, isolated farmer
• Nadia Tereszkiewicz — Marion, young lover
• Bastien Bouillon — Gendarme Cédric Vigier