Darling indie director David Robert Mitchell has made the leap from small horror films like It Follows and the very controversial Under the Silver Lake to mainstream Hollywood blockbuster with The End of Oak Street. A dinosaur time-travelling movie that took us completely by surprise by embracing the big summer blockbuster genre and infusing it with star power including Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway, who is having an incredible year.
Set in 1982, the Platt family led by Greg (Ewan McGregor) and his wife Denise (Anne Hathaway) are going through a rough patch in their relationship. Their son Brian (Christian Convey) is about to enter into his teen years and is experimenting with smoking and interested in girls, and their daughter Audrey (Maisy Stella). They notice prehistoric plants popping up around the neighbourhood, species that have been extinct for millions of years, and then after a flashing light during the night, the Platt family find their neighbourhood is full of dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. Together they must survive as a family and figure out what has happened and find a way to get back to their own time.
It would be easy to compare this movie to Jurassic Park, and I can see it. Yes, there are dinosaurs, and yes they are terrifying, but here they are not locked behind fences or cages, they are running up and down suburban streets, crashing through cars and making it really difficult to find anywhere to hide. Mitchell also makes some nods and winks to Spielberg and Amblin’s films from the 1980’s with shots of kids riding on bikes and then dumping them on the front lawn outside their house, there are street BBQ parties and once the dino’s kick in, the Jurassic Park nods continue, there is “one big pile of shit”, kitchen raptor moments and a Spinosaurus chase that all feel like familiar nods.
The cinematography from Michael Gioulakis is a massive credit to this film, it helps it feel like JJ Abrams Super 8 and films like Gremlins and E.T of that era. There are tons of gorgeous split-diopter shots with close ups of Hathaway’s face with some terrifying creature in the background. It gives you that nostalgia feel while still feeling like part of the current cinematic landscape. Speaking of terrifying creatures, it was a surprise that it wasn’t just dinosaurs that got a look in here. There are giant snakes/pythons/anacondas, crocodiles, giant komodo dragons and some Bowser looking snapping turtles with horned shells that look incredibly terrifying. It really did help break up any potential dinosaur fatigue, and added in a sense of “nowhere is safe” for the residents of Oak Street.
Hathaway is having a killer year in film, with 5 full films getting a theatrical release, this is by far my favourite. It showcases her versatility going from a journalist, a queen, a popstar to now a caring and confused mum in a summer blockbuster film. It has the potential to open up many other doors to Hawthaway and her presence on screen here demands your attention. Her chemistry with McGregor is flawless as they play the ready to get divorced couple who are thrown into this extremely bizaare situation and need to push their feelings aside in order to survive.
The movie is not afraid to embrace its silliness and the absurd ridiculousness of the predicament that this family are in, and it is not afraid to lean into that. There is a moment that causes a “what is this” reaction from the audience, and the story them smartly whips everything back into perspective while allowing you to suspend your disbelief. There are shades of Back to the Future at the end of the film that leaves this wide open for a sequel (this opening weekend will be the decider of that!)
The End of Oak Street undoubtably delivers the best dinosaur movie since Jurassic Park. By combining the currently 1980’s nostalgia hype with the star power of Anne Hathaway, a script that knows the limits of its ridiculous premise and allowing the dinosaurs to have their own specific traditional feathery look gives this film its own unique look. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the family’s dog Starbuck, who is the real star of this feature and the constant source of concern from the audience I saw this with (and rightfully so!) The End of Oak Street is an incredibly good time at the cinema, it’s that old school family style film that still allows for adults to jump in on the jokes. And yes, while I’m disappointed that this was not a surprise Cloverfield-verse film, it is one of the best general release films of the year.
