Antlers Movie Review

“Antlers” is a horror movie that turns the darkness up to eleven. The dark atmosphere and the dark mood are finely tuned, to give it a really off-kilter feeling. The characters are beset by a supernatural presence that they cannot contain. The bigger picture of Lower Class troubles and Native People issues are mentioned, but not explored. The main dilemma is the monster in the midst of this small Oregon town. And it is ready to kill to get its way…

Julia Meadows (played by Keri Russell) had moved away from this small town, for troubling reasons. Since then, her brother Paul (played by Jesse Plemons) has become the local sheriff. Julia moved away to escape the abuse of her father. Since he has died, she is back to attempt to piece together part of her life. She also wants to make peace with her brother, because he took all the abuse after she left the town. Julia is now teaching at the local school. Her boss is Principal Booth (played by Amy Madigan). She knows that Julia has a soft spot for any kid who is trouble.

That kid is named Lucas Weaver (played by Jeremy T. Thomas). He is puny and malnourished, and potentially abused by his father. But he does want to communicate much, and he seems to hold deep secrets. His father Frank Weaver (played by Scott Haze) was in the local abandoned mine cooking meth. He and partner were attacked by — something. Now Frank is very, very sick — and Lucas hides him (and his younger bother) behind a padlocked door in their ramshackle house. Julia sees that Lucas gets picked on all the time, and he wants to be alone all the time. Lucas makes pit stops on the long walk home to pick up road kill. That way, he can throw that raw and rotting meat into the room behind the padlocked door.

Principal Booth goes to visit the Weaver home so she can try and talk with Frank. However, he is not taking any visitors at the moment. So when she gets behind the padlocked door — terrible things happen. Sheriff Paul was called earlier by the prior Sheriff, named Warren Stokes (played by Graham Greene). Stokes had found the remains of a man in the woods. It is what was left of Frank Weaver’s meth cooking partner.

Sheriff Paul and his Deputy Dan (played by Rory Cochrane) investigate. What is left of Principal Booth is found in the Weaver’s abandoned house. More and more bodies start to stack up. Paul and Julia go to see Stokes. He tells them of a Native American story of the ‘wendigo’. This is a horrific creature that long ago was a man, but has become an unstoppable blood-thirsty beast. Oh, and this thing has lot of antlers.

Lucas is taken by Julia and Sheriff Paul, at least for the time being. But later that night, Deputy Dan goes to patrol the Sheriff’s house and guess what he finds just outside in the shed? Paul gets back and also gets attacked. But Lucas is gone, and Julia thinks she knows where the wendigo has taken the boy. They rush back to the mine to find out if there is a creature living in the bowels of the Earth. Sheriff Paul is in bad shape, but medical help is on the way. Who is going to help Julia, in her struggle to save young Lucas?  It’s not if you go — it’s ‘wendigo’…

“Antlers” is a well made and very good looking movie, and it moves quickly along. There is more tension and spooky atmosphere than there are real scares. The creature design and slow reveals are excellent. There are a few questions that get raised, but then are forgotten along the way. The director (Scott Cooper) keeps the focus on the main characters, rather than the main monster.

Keri Russell is really good in this role. She gets all the emotional baggage of a person who has suffered abuse, and has probably abused alcohol in her recent past. Jesse Plemons is very low-keyed, which that character needs to be in that situation. As usual Graham Greene is great, but he is greatly under-used in this minor role. Jeremy T. Thomas does a wonderful job as a young kid caught in a terrible situation beyond his control.

“Antlers” is a creepy look at an old mythological beast that the White Man says cannot exist. But when it is found and strikes at the heart of the small town, the terror and turmoil get turned up.