Antlers - Theatrical Review

Antlers centers on Julia (Keri Russell), who is a grade-school teacher in Oregon. She recently moved in with her police officer brother Paul (Jesse Plemons) as she deals with her past of being abused by her father. One of her young students is named Lucas (Jeremy T. Thomas), who has been drawing strange things in class, keeps quiet, and is picked on by his peers. His home life isn't great either as he lives in a house with no electricity or furniture and is feeding something behind a heavily locked door. As more and more people go missing but then eventually found disgustingly murdered and ripped open - Julia starts to notice Lucas is at the center of it all.

It's always a great thing when the likes of David S. Goyer (Blade, The Dark Knight) and Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) come aboard a film as producers. It means there is something special in between the slashes of blood and jump scares. Director Scott Cooper (Black Mass, Crazy Heart) and writer Nick Antosca (The Forest) have adapted Antosca's short story into a feature-length film and added some oddly defined allegory between its main protagonists and the monster - for better or worse. This element mostly works, but due to some ill-advised character actions and some obvious horror tropes, the movie heads off on a tangent, but only for a short while. This decision keeps the movie at a most serious tone and never begins to have fun in its own creature-feature genre. That being said, the movie works on its own that is something truly horrifying.

When the film works, it's scary, smart, and a rare gem of modern horror. Strange kids, humans painfully transforming into something otherworldly, and the monster itself is intense and wonderful to watch. On the other hand, the stereotypical cliches of horror rear their ugly heads from time to time in the form of characters doing stupid things that would easily get them killed. It happens more than once and can cause payrolls. But the good outweighs the bad here, even if some of the more serious elements are heavy-handed with Julia's abusive father and the parallel it signals with the creature.

With that, Keri Russell shines as this traumatic character who is constantly struggling with her past abuse and addiction as she tries to stay on the bright path. It's a marvel to watch her own the big screen each time she's front and center. The young Jeremy T. Thomas is also stellar, stepping into a very adult role for such a young actor. Everyone else turns in satisfactory, yet shorter performances, including one Rory Cochrane (Slater from Dazed and Confused), who is barely on screen. The practical and CGI creature effects are fantastic and scary, packing a horrifying punch every time the creature shows itself. Antlers doesn't change the game, but it certainly is effective and terrifying, despite its flaws. Highly Recommended!

In Theaters Friday, October 29th - Order Your Tickets On Fandango!