American Animals is both a heist movie and a misguided existential journey of four young men searching in all the wrong places for identity, adventure and a “special" life.

Spencer wants to become an artist but doesn’t have anything to say. His friend Warren has been raised to believe that his life will be special. As they start university, it dawns on them that their lives may never be unique or extraordinary in any way. On a library tour, Spencer is shown the special collections room - home to the country’s most valuable books. When he shares this with Warren, they begin to wonder: what would their lives look like if they planned to execute the perfect robbery?

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]