Animal Kingdom
TNT | Release Date: June 14, 2016
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
12
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Colorado Springs GazetteTerry TerronesJun 13, 2016
Season 1 Review: Clever, dangerous and cinematically produced, Animal Kingdom is must-see TV. Read full review
83
The Detroit NewsTom LongJun 14, 2016
Season 1 Review: As gritty, dysfunctional family, crime-fueled dramas go, Animal Kingdom roars with dark promise. Read full review
83
NewsdayVerne GayJun 13, 2016
Season 1 Review: The most interesting character, or certainly most compelling, is Barkin’s Smurf. She’s a Ma Barker with cleavage, a brownie-baking Gemma Teller (“Sons of Anarchy”). Ultimately, she may be the one to seal the pact here. Read full review
80
ColliderAllison KeeneMay 30, 2017
Season 2 Review: This time the threat comes from within, and it’s a more interesting tension. And yet, even with all of the lies and cheating and occasional murder, there’s still something serene about watching Craig count money while having a beer on the beach with his brothers. Read full review
80
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertJun 14, 2016
Season 1 Review: They’re not a sympathetic collection of characters, but they can be compelling in their twistedness. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydJun 14, 2016
Season 1 Review: The concerned viewer will of course want him [J] to get as far away from them [the Codys] as possible, somewhere he can do his math homework in peace. At the same time, most every character gives you something to relate to; each has his secrets and cares. Executive producer John Wellsdirected the opening episodes; and the series is expertly made, and subtler than the premise suggests. Read full review
80
ColliderAllison KeeneJun 10, 2016
Season 1 Review: It’s a measured portrait of a complicated family that gives some credit to its audience. Read full review
75
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardJun 14, 2016
Season 1 Review: It’s too easy to think of this family as sharks. Sharks are much kinder to their young. Animal Kingdom bites hard and doesn’t let up. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubDanette ChavezJun 14, 2016
Season 1 Review: As the (unofficially) adopted son, Baz has always had more to prove than his siblings, but that status also motivates him to get out of Smurf’s thrall. Animal Kingdom could similarly hold sway over its audience, as long as it plays to the strengths of its cast. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandJun 13, 2016
Season 1 Review: Lisco and his writers do a good job weaving a compelling narrative, one that’s filled with action, but more significantly defined by the complexity of the individual characters. Read full review
75
The Lincoln Journal StarJeff KorbelikJun 13, 2016
Season 1 Review: Oh my goodness is this one filled with testosterone, reminding me a bit of FX’s “Sons of Anarchy.” ... Watch for Shawn Hatosy (“Southland”). He's creepy good as the whacko son with a mean streak. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyJeff JensenJun 10, 2016
Season 1 Review: A surfboard Sons of Anarchy adapted from an acclaimed 2010 Aussie flick, Animal Kingdom lives at the intersection of Polished Cable Pulp and Who Cares? The performances are good enough to enliven the antihero familiarity. Read full review
70
The Salt Lake TribuneScott D. PierceJun 14, 2016
Season 1 Review: Animal Kingdom is not exactly a cerebral series. It's a show about guys doing guy things, complete with action sequences. And the characters are intriguing--although a little bit of Barkin goes a long way. Read full review
70
We Got This CoveredIsaac Feldberg Jun 14, 2016
Season 1 Review: Animal Kingdom has a lot going for it, and its adrenaline-junkie characters benefit from not being weighed down by more dramatic darkness than they warrant. In particular, it’s a joy to watch Barkin sink her teeth into a role as juicy as Smurf. Read full review
67
IndieWireBen TraversJun 10, 2016
Season 1 Review: It’s hard to shake the feeling this is another show without a protagonist; a remnant from the previous decade where antiheroes reigned and genuine do-gooders were passé. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineChuck BowenJun 10, 2016
Season 1 Review: Animal Kingdom is superficial and derivative of countless other films and crime shows, lacking the nihilistic heat of its source material and the transcendently elegant formality of Point Break. But it also decadently relishes in the objectification of both genders with amusing shamelessness. Read full review
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