Antlers (2021)

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas

In an isolated Oregon town, a middle-school teacher and her sheriff brother become embroiled with her enigmatic student, whose dark secrets lead to terrifying encounters with an ancestral creature.

‘Antlers’ goes from mysterious to disturbing within a short space of time. While still digesting the mystery of a young boy’s fate after an apparent accident, the film hits the viewer with creepy images.

Lucas’s Dad is being attacked by ‘something’ inside a mine, and the film then jumps ahead in time three weeks. This is when we realize something far more sinister happened in the mine, but the film keeps us guessing for a while.

The film simultaneously tells us of another victim of circumstance, Julia (Keri Russell). At first I wasn’t sure whether her story was connected to Lucas, and it was a bit confusing. However, we soon realize while Julia is fighting her own inner demons, Lucas is having to face much more than a boy his age should ever endure – or even witness for that matter. Jeremy T. Thomas is excellent as Lucas. He conveys so much with facial expression.

Julia is Lucas’s new teacher, and from disturbing images through his drawings, she feels compelled to helping him – especially since she herself has an abusive background. The viewer unravels most of the mystery together with her, and makes for some shocking discoveries. The performances in general are very good, and the film is really eerie and creepy, with great visuals.

Julia’s back story plays a pivotal role, as it makes her a strong and determined character during the climax, acting on instinct and – to a certain degree – out of vengeance. I found ‘Antlers’ mysterious, thrilling, exciting, and nail-biting. This was indeed a pleasant surprise. ‘Antler’s is a really good film (if you’re into this kind of genre, off course!). This is sure to give kids nightmares, though, so this is for a mature audience only.

Would I watch it again? Yes, for sure!