"Antlers" follows Julia, a recovering alcoholic who has returned to her hometown in rural Oregon and moved into her childhood home to be with her brother, the town sheriff. Upon accepting a job as a teacher at the local elementary school, she soon takes notice of one of her students, Lucas, whom she suspects is living in an abusive home--however, the secret Lucas is harboring is much more complex.
I am not someone who typically loves creature features or monster movies (whether they are woven with folklore or not), so I was not sure how I would take to this film, despite it appearing to have high promise. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by it. While it does veer into full-fledged creature horror in the last act, it also has a number of other interesting things happening in it--there is a subtext of drug addiction and child abuse at the core of the story, with the Native American Wendigo tale functioning as a means of exploring this theme. It is a unique idea, though the theme does feel as though it is somewhat half-baked, almost as though the screenwriters were unsure of how to thread it all the way through. A glaring example of this is the shared history of abuse between Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons' characters, siblings whose father was obliquely abusive--there are numerous references to this, and the abuse seems to weigh heavy on them, but the history is never fully fleshed out.
Where the film is far better-realized is in its cinematography and atmosphere, which is dense, mossy, and almost rotten-feeling. Its bleak visuals match its themes, and the Pacific Northwest setting is dreary and effective. Solid performances from the entire cast also help boost the film, with Russell and Plemons giving outstanding performances, as well as Rory Cochrane, Graham Green, and Amy Madigan providing equally fantastic supporting performances. Furthermore, the special effects are high-caliber and effective, without veering into absurd CGI territory--the creature appears truly menacing, and the violence disturbing.
Overall, "Antlers" is a solid, well-acted, and well-shot film, and certainly one of the best horror films of 2021. While its themes do feel underdeveloped at times, they still remain profound, and the film is characterized by a bleak, dense atmosphere that is hard to shake off. 8/10.
I am not someone who typically loves creature features or monster movies (whether they are woven with folklore or not), so I was not sure how I would take to this film, despite it appearing to have high promise. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by it. While it does veer into full-fledged creature horror in the last act, it also has a number of other interesting things happening in it--there is a subtext of drug addiction and child abuse at the core of the story, with the Native American Wendigo tale functioning as a means of exploring this theme. It is a unique idea, though the theme does feel as though it is somewhat half-baked, almost as though the screenwriters were unsure of how to thread it all the way through. A glaring example of this is the shared history of abuse between Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons' characters, siblings whose father was obliquely abusive--there are numerous references to this, and the abuse seems to weigh heavy on them, but the history is never fully fleshed out.
Where the film is far better-realized is in its cinematography and atmosphere, which is dense, mossy, and almost rotten-feeling. Its bleak visuals match its themes, and the Pacific Northwest setting is dreary and effective. Solid performances from the entire cast also help boost the film, with Russell and Plemons giving outstanding performances, as well as Rory Cochrane, Graham Green, and Amy Madigan providing equally fantastic supporting performances. Furthermore, the special effects are high-caliber and effective, without veering into absurd CGI territory--the creature appears truly menacing, and the violence disturbing.
Overall, "Antlers" is a solid, well-acted, and well-shot film, and certainly one of the best horror films of 2021. While its themes do feel underdeveloped at times, they still remain profound, and the film is characterized by a bleak, dense atmosphere that is hard to shake off. 8/10.