Though only a producer on the filmAntlers, youcan see and feel the fingerprints of the master of the macabre,Guillermo del Toro, all over it. A bleak, overcast Pacific Northwest backdrop is the kind of ambiance that he thrives in. He passes the reins to the very capable hands ofScott Cooper,and if you’ve seenOut of the FurnaceorThe Pale Blue Eyeyou know that he can bring a haunting feel to an unorthodox project in a relatively short career behind the camera. InAntlers, based onNick Antosca’s 2019 short story, “The Quiet Boy,“which isnow available on Peacock, he collaborates on his first horror movie with del Toro and two very versatile performers with established horror genre bona fides,Keri RussellandJesse Plemons. As usual, Graham Greeneis also steady as a wise man with a story to tell. They come together with newcomerJeremy T. Thomasto deliverone of the creepiest films of the decade that involves some serious body horror and an ancient mystical, malevolent force sprung from Mother Earththat will kill and maim everything to ensure its survival.
What Is ‘Antlers’ About'?
Set in a dreary, rural Oregon mining town,Antlersis the story about a middle school teacher, Julia Meadows(Russell), who has returned to the small berg after dealing with problems with childhood abuse by her dad and subsequent issues with alcohol. She moves in withher brother and the town’s sheriff, Paul (Plemons), and they become involved in the unusual life of a young student named Lucas Weaver (Thomas). After Julia notices Lucas coming to class disheveled, malnourished, and telling strange stories in class, she digs deeper into the boy’s home life, not knowing what she is about to unearth. After asking Paul for assistance in a possible Child Protective Services case, they all become entangled in a terrifying metamorphosis when Lucas' father, Frank (Scott Haze), ispossessed by an ancient Indigenous American spirit that inhabits human bodies.He then emerges in the bizarre (and very Guillermo del Toro)half man, half twelve-point buck hybridization called the Wendigothat has to have a human host to survive.
There Are Two Layers of Horror in ‘Antlers’
Every good Guillermo del Toro project has several layers of horrorthat consume the viewer and never let up. ThroughAntlersand letting Cooper go to work on the haunting ambiance, the first layer establishes the isolation and almost hopeful mood that underlies the entire movie.The stark, gray setting is its own imposing character in the film. Viewers from this part of the United States know the eeriness that living without sunlight for a month can bring. It can weigh on you emotionally and physically, andCooper deftly uses a pale bluish-green lens filter to take full advantage of the natural elements.
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The film stars Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi.
The second layer of horror in almost all of del Toro’s projects issome seriously wild and never-before-seen body horror. As the Wendigo creature slowly consumes Frank’s drug-addled, frail body, it’s gut-wrenching to watch the man completely lose himself. Lucas collects roadkill to feed his dad before he graduates into eating humans. He becomes so feral and unstable that he has to be locked away in the attic.Once the Wendigo splits its human hosts' skin and frees itself, it’s every man and woman for themselves as bodies start piling up on Paul’s watch. The creature combines ideas laid out by Cooper, concept designerGuy Davis, producerShane Mahan, and the horror legend del Toro.
The human element ofAntlersis ultimately a story about siblings. The movie’s overarching theme is Julia and Paul as they work to reconnect after years apart or Lucas desperately trying to protect his little brother Aidan (Sawyer Jones). What Cooper and del Toro do so effectively is interweave some of the most ghastly horror stylings with relatable and sad personal relationships that are tested under the worst circumstances. The undeniable motif of parental abuse makes the film even more gloomy. Together, they form one terrific and ghoulish ride that an auteur like Guillermo del Toro is surely proud of, even as he oversees another filmmaker who watches the dailies and delivers the morbid story.As long as del Toro has a hand in the production, it’s a virtual money-back guarantee that it will be unique and, at best, an unforgettable cinematic experience.
Antlers is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
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