The Orchard has unveiled the first trailer for the heist thriller American Animals, which debuted at Sundance this past January to positive reviews. Directed by Bart Layton, who helmed the compelling documentary The Imposter, this film is based on the true story of four friends who attempted to execute one of the most daring heists in U.S. history, stealing a rare book from a college library’s secure archives. The film is a brilliant blend of fiction and non-fiction, as the actors’ true life counterparts appear sporadically throughout the film as talking heads, providing hindsight-infused context to the boneheaded actions of these four privileged white dudes.

I caught the film at Sundance and it’s a lot of fun, with a really tremendous performance by Evan Peters at the center. This trailer does a good job of showcasing the energy of the film and Layton’s flashy style, as well as the intriguing performances from Peters and The Killing of a Sacred Deer breakout Barry Keoghan. If you’re at all interested in seeing a heist thriller with a unique narrative twist, seek this one out.

Check out the American Animals trailer below and click here to read my review from Sundance. The film also stars Blake Jenner and Jared Abrahamson and opens in theaters on June 1st.

Here’s the official synopsis for American Animals:

The extraordinary and thrilling true story of four friends (Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, and Jared Abrahamson) living an ordinary existence who brazenly attempt to execute one of the most audacious art heists in US history. But not everything is as it seems, and as the daring theft unfolds through each of their perspectives, each of them start to question whether their attempts to inject excitement and purpose into their lives is simply a misguided attempt at achieving the American Dream.