So this is like one of my favorite moments in Fantastic Beasts–I know, it’s tiny! But hear me out:

What Newt does and says and his body language says so much!!!

First off, he, out of anyone in the world, knows full well that this isn’t a good place to release the Swooping Evil.

BUT

He spends all his time studying and working with animals that wizards don’t appreciate and couldn’t care for (and even want to kill), and he does this all alone because he doesn’t really fit in with people.

Then here comes Jacob, who knows like nothing! Newt has no problem just scooping him up and inviting him along, even though it’s illegal. And now, he finally has someone to show his lifelong passion to, who will find it interesting and wondrous, instead of unusual or weird.

You can tell by Newt’s body language in this scene, that he’s (very privately) been internally dying to show the Swooping Evil off to someone–though he would never voice or acknowledge that out loud (probably because of previous negative reactions). But you can tell, even just in this gif, that he’s daydreamed about it for weeks or months. His inner (perhaps childlike) self thinks this thing is sick!! And he’s been dying to share it!!

But Newt is not a boastful or loud person. He wouldn’t draw attention to that fact (he’s a Hufflepuff and also has been stigmatized in his society). No. But look at his body language–his back is to Jacob and he flings that beast out at him. It’s like he’s daydreamed about and yearned for this moment so much, he’s staged it!! That’s not the body language of someone who wants to gently show Jacob a Swooping Evil, that’s the body language of someone who thinks this thing is freaking sweet!! And has been internally, perhaps subconsciously dying to show it off. And if you don’t believe me, look close and you can see that tiny little smile/smirk he’s sort of hiding from Jacob.

Newt totally eats this thing up, but it’s like he doesn’t want anyone to know just how much so.

And then he says (sort of trying to hide his smile), “Probably shouldn’t let it loose in here.” When he knows full well he shouldn’t have, but he just feels the need to say that to downplay the reality that he just really wanted to share this thing with someone. Because to be so openly passionate about it is too much of a risk, too vulnerable, because of past rejections. No, he needs to almost play dumb so he takes 0 risks at being made fun of for loving this–even with Jacob, who is his best bet who won’t make fun of him (because he doesn’t know better)

The subtext is this like three-second moment kills me with it’s perfection. It’s freaking brilliant.