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Oct 29, 2021 · Literal, low-lit filmmaking darkness. It is a slimy, icky, violent film that doesn’t always come together but it also undeniably feels like it has emerged from the passions of its creators, particularly director Scott Cooper and producer Guillermo del Toro.
59% Tomatometer 179 Reviews 67% Audience Score 500+ Verified Ratings From the visionary world of acclaimed director Scott Cooper and horror maestro Guillermo del Toro comes ANTLERS. In an...
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- Scott Cooper
- R
- Keri Russell
Oct 12, 2021 · Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons in ‘Antlers’: Film Review. Scott Cooper’s first horror film revolves around a teacher trying to help a student who has a very disturbing home life.
Oct 28, 2021 · ‘Antlers’ Review: Buck Wild. An environmental parable is tucked inside this gloomy film about a creature that terrorizes a small Oregon town. Share full article. Jeremy T. Thomas and Keri...
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- Verdict
By Rafael Motamayor
Updated: Oct 16, 2021 6:09 pm
Posted: Oct 14, 2021 5:23 pm
Antlers debuts in theaters on Oct. 29.
There's a reason why the last few years have seen the horror landscape predominantly dominated by stories about trauma and grief. When done right, this can add a layer of existential and creeping dread that stays with you longer than any monster or killer can. Antlers lives in the space between minimalistic arthouse horror films that place emotional character drama over scares, while also trying to be a gruesome creature feature. While it does have effective horror imagery and a phenomenal monster, as well as thought-provoking ideas about parental neglect and trauma, it doesn't fully come together in a cohesive and satisfying way.
In its opening scene, director Scott Cooper introduces us to a small town in Oregon where the problems are not supernatural, but very much human. Drugs, unemployment, and domestic abuse are monsters that are already plaguing the town, and kids show up at school with clear signs of neglect, but everyone seems to turn a blind eye to avoid taking responsibility for others.
A Quiet Place Part II
Candyman
Malignant
The Night House
Werewolves Within
Other -- let us know in the comments.
Adapted from the short story The Quiet Boy by Channel Zero creator Nick Antosca, who wrote the film with Cooper and Henry Chaisson, this very much feels like an extended, expensive episode of the Syfy show. The script takes a slow-burn approach, building a sense of mystique around Lucas and the dark secret he's hiding almost as if this was a spooky story being told around a campfire by friends.
In this way, Antlers takes the same approach to its creature as Alien and Jaws, very slowly building up to a reveal, and even there mostly surrounding it in darkness so that we never take a proper look. Rest assured, however, what we do see of the creature is absolutely magnificent, with designer Guy Davis crafting one of the best movie monsters in years, mostly in-camera. Even before we see the creature, Antlers boasts some truly horrific and grotesque imagery that could fit a theoretical fourth season of Hannibal, with dead bodies being mutilated and presented in ways that are as hard to look at as they are beautifully shot.
Jeremy T. Thomas is a revelation, conveying resilience and fear in a restrained way.
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Outside of the creature horror, Antlers is best when focusing on Lucas and the way children can be forced into the adult role, needing to take care of their parents. Thomas is a revelation, conveying resilience and fear in a restrained way that breaks your heart with every scene, elevating him to the pantheon of great horror performances by kids. Less successful is the film's approach to Julia and her own childhood trauma. There are repeated quick flashes to explicitly sexual trauma in Julia's past, which serve only to illustrate that she recognizes Lucas' peril because she's been through some horror already, rather than to serve her own story of healing or overcoming her past. The film walks in the footsteps of the work of directors like Mike Flanagan, and it seems Antlers certainly wants you to think of his work when diving more into Julia's story without presenting the kind of catharsis or emotional conclusion that we’ve seen in stories like The Haunting of Hill House or Midnight Mass.
Likewise, despite efforts to connect the story of Antlers to a history of American myths and legends, and to connect supernatural horrors to the horrors faced by the community, it resorts to tired tropes of using Native culture for window dressing. Despite the film beginning with a quote of warning spoken in an indigenous language, Antlers brings the one Native actor in its cast only for a mandatory exposition dump in the third act, his only purpose to serve the two white leads of the film without getting any background of his own.
Antlers is a satisfying, unsettling, and rather bleak horror movie when it focuses on its main creature. It’s also a thought-provoking character drama when it deals with parental neglect, but the two never properly mix, keeping it from being as great as it could’ve been.
Antlers is a cleverly shot, character-driven horror story with effective jumpscares and a captivating narrative that ultimately fails to reach its true potential. Full Review | Original Score:...
User Reviews. Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) is a recovering alcoholic and school teacher in remote Oregon. She is estranged from her sheriff brother Paul Meadows (Jesse Plemons). One of her students, Lucas Weaver, is getting bullied. She tries to connect with the child who is showing some disturbing signs.
