Antlers – A Tense Creature Feature

Creature features have been a successful subset of the horror genre for the most part, generating countless memorable features. That being said, with so many out there, films have to work hard in order to help them stand out. Antlers, the latest creature feature delayed on several occasions as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is now upon us. While it is not perfect by any means, it was certainly still worth the wait. Though the film takes a while to find its footing, getting lost in some heavy themes that it never quite had a handle on, it eventually delivers a tense, atmospheric horror that won’t be for the feint of heart thanks to a chilling score and great lead performances from Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons. They at least keep things somewhat compelling while the film found its footing and by the time it did, it was worth the wait. Through this, the film roots its story in themes that don’t necessarily matter in the grand scheme of things but it does open the door in an interesting enough way.

Antlers takes place in a small Oregon mining town where a middle-school teacher named Julia Meadows (Russell) becomes invested in the life of one of her students, a young boy named Lucas Weaver (Thomas). Unlike the other kids in her class, Lucas was different and appeared to be struggling as a result of abuse but little did she know the full extent of his issues as his dark secret was brought to light, bringing in her sheriff brother Paul (Plemons). With a backstory of her own, along with her brother, not too different from Lucas, Julia’s concern for Lucas was genuine. As she got increasingly closer to the truth, this put her on a collision course with an ancient mythical creature connected to the land which they now inhabit. Though the abuse subplot was clearly a way in for the root of the story being that of the creature, the film dragged a little in a classic case of keeping audiences from what they’ve already figured out which could be on the irritating side for some.

Setting the stage for that inevitable moment was the aforementioned chilling score and a palpable feeling of dread that is sure to leave most audiences on the edge of their seats. Once the focus of Antlers shifted solely towards the creature, it became a much more interesting watch as it saw Julia and Paul face their own demons as they helped Lucas and the creature which had taken over his family. The creature itself was essentially a manifestation of those demons as their shared trauma fueled them. All of that pent-up emotion made for a satisfying climax. However, that climax only works based on that connection between Julia and audiences. While there could have been more there, it still worked for the most part. At the end of the day, this was also a horror film and for that, the film also succeeds in spite of what appeared to be a limited budget for which it made the most of. Perhaps this is why the involvement of the creature was limited but the film still made sure to make the most out of those appearances. The level of detail on the creature was impressive and its appearances were incredibly tense to watch.

Ultimately, the best part of Antlers was the great performances from Russell and Plemons as Julia and Paul Meadows respectively. Above all else, this was Russell’s film and she delivered an engaging lead and was the emotional center of the film. She was a dynamic and comforting presence that was easy to connect with on an emotional level while perhaps giving the character more depth than what was maybe on the page. Meanwhile, Plemons brought charm and was also a calming presence while making for a great dynamic with Russell thanks to their great chemistry. Thomas more than held his own alongside Russell and Plemons, bringing some emotional depth in his first film role as the damaged Lucas.

Overall, Antlers is an impressive creature feature that more than holds its own.

still courtesy of 20th Century Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.