The End of Oak Street

Director: David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Anne Hathway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, Christian Convery, Jordan Alexa Davis, P.J. Byrne, Hudson Meek, Anne Gee Byrd, Emily Kuroda
Running Time: 99 min.
Rating: PG-13

**This Review Contains Major Plot Spoilers**

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Despite a lackluster marketing campaign that attempted to sell the film as the latest Cloverfield or Jurassic Park installment, writer/director David Robert Mitchell's The End of Oak Street puts those comparisons to bed with one of the more intriguing sci-fi movies in recent memory. But while the link to 80's Spielberg is clear in terms of tone and setting, most of the similarities stop there, with Mitchell taking some wild swings even that legendary filmmaker wouldn't. And though its extraordinary events more directly resemble something from the mind of Stephen King or Rod Serling, the heart of those Amblin releases still beats inside it, most notably in the depiction of a fractured family tested by forces beyond their control. 

A gripping suburban drama, dark comedy, and ingeniously constructed time travel movie all rolled into one, it isn't exactly surprising that the creative force behind It Follows and the crazily ambitious Under The Silver Lake delivered it. This again finds Mitchell at the top of his game, making few compromises in the face of advertising that pitched the film going a safer, more predictable route better suited for mass consumption. But in giving us something that bares little resemblance to the empty spectacle those trailers implied, this instead strays further off course than anyone expected, its incredible effects matched only by the high quality of its storytelling.

It's July, 1982 and aspiring novelist Denise Platt (Anne Hathaway) continues to secretly work on a book about an unhappy housewife with a packed suitcase and fantasies about starting a new life. She lives with husband Greg (Ewan McGregor), kids Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery) and their rambunctious dog Starbuck on Oak Street in the idyllic suburban Michigan town of Flowerville. As Greg lies about his pizza delivery side gig and secretly swigs liquor in the garage, Denise contemplates divorce, but attempts to hold this marriage together for the family's sake.

While Denise and Greg put on a happy face, the kids sense that tension, hoping their parents can somehow work things out. But just as a series of suspicious events start occurring on their block, a severe storm hits, causing a power outage and engulfing Oak Street in a mysterious bright light. The next morning the Platts awaken to discover their neighborhood transported into the middle of a prehistoric landscape with dinosaurs roaming the streets, attacking and killing nearly everyone in sight, forcing them to look find a way out as they fight for survival.  

Had the film been a suburban period piece focusing exclusively on the Platts, it would still be just as compelling a watch. And to a large degree, that's what we get since so much of the groundwork laid in the first act carries over, informing each successive development and the characters' actions throughout. This equally applies to its atmosphere, as the costuming, production design, Mike Gioulakis' atmospheric cinematography and Michael Giacchino's adventurously emotional score all bring nostalgic specificity to a Norman Rockwell-esque neighborhood enjoying its last day of normalcy. 

Though this takes place in '82, the year isn't explicitly stated or called attention to, initially causing us to speculate until a few key indicators gradually reveal the exact era. The machinations of their everyday life all feel authentically spot on, such as irritating neighbor Mel's (P.J. Byrne) complaints about their dog, Brian's attempts to evade a bully or his crush on Jeanette (Jordan Alexa Davis), a new girl who recently arrived from private school. But none of this is mere window dressing, as each of these subplots prove important later. 

Denise is really the head of this household, sick of Greg's indecisiveness and avoidance of anything that resembles a confrontation or serious discussion about their marriage. He wants her to cut him a break, fearing he'll have to come clean with the truth about his precarious employment situation. By the time the catastrophe arrives, it's already started before they realize it.  Since the clues are numerous enough for the Platts to quickly figure out what happened, this isn't a mystery, but that doesn't make dealing with the fallout any easier. Given the whole neighborhood's been sucked into a prehistoric wormhole, at some point they'll need to leave the confines of their now heavily boarded up house for food and supplies. Due to an unfortunate decision, that trek into the unknown happens sooner than planned.  

How Mitchell gradually reveals these dinosaurs and builds the tension is a stroke of genius, starting with unidentifiable sounds before moving to the rustling of bushes, human screams and the sight of a tail. Once we do actually see them, the family realizes driving out of town isn't an option and the carnage begins. The film's rated PG-13, if barely, straddling the R-rated line with gore and violence that doesn't look the slightest bit cartoonish, with dinosaurs biting off bloody limbs and picking at dead bodies. And with such a frighteningly believable depiction of these creatures, it won't be confused with the more accessible, audience-friendly Jurassic Park entries. But the real irony in that is how Industrial Light and Magic handled the VFX for both. The difference may as well be night and day. 

Smaller character driven moments are enhanced when the action accelerates, with Mitchell allowing for breathing room during extensive stretches when anticipation, anxiety and dread exceed the nightmare unfolding in front of them. There's a horror to the inconsistency, as different species of dinosaur lumber around every corner, some appearing more harmless than others, even if they're all dangerous, hungry and extremely protective of their territory. Since a wormhole brought the Platts there, it stands to reason that's also their path back, if they can find it and figure out what's waiting on the other side.

Extending an unprecedented winning streak of roles, Hathaway is exceptional as a wife and mother who's reached the end of her rope well before disaster strikes, holding this family together while tolerating an outwardly apathetic spouse. She's also able to flip the switch into badass mode when necessary, as Denise leads the charge and handles all the tough calls, many of which converge to take a toll in the last act, testing her in unimaginable ways. 

There's no telling how unlikable Greg could have been if a different actor played him given that McGregor actually garners a great deal of sympathy for a character whose early behavior displays signs of a self-centered loser. But he plays him as a work in progress you can't help but root for, ashamed of his faults and knowing he has to do better, even if this means just showing up. And when faced with their biggest challenge, he does just that. 

Denise and Greg present a united front the kids aren't buying, with Christian Convery and Maisy Stella's performances conveying it. They're not just appendages in the story, as both experience separate but overlapping adolescent dramas compounded by the shared fear of their parents' potential split, at least until the far worse possibility of losing both presents itself.

One of the more moving scenes in the film comes when Audrey leaves the house for the comfort of an empty car, blasting Steve Winwood's "Valerie" on the cassette player. It's a rare break from the surrounding chaos and the only moment of peace she's able to experience as the world collapses around her. It isn't long before they all realize much of what mattered yesterday now suddenly doesn't, even if certain things still seem more important than ever before.             

We have an idea of how this should end in our minds so when that car comes over the hill in the closing minutes, there's a cathartic release, soon interrupted by the realization that time travel always carries unforeseen consequences. Does changing the past eliminate the need to have gone back in the first place? And how would that affect everything and everyone around you? It's easy to miss a key clue in the final scene that only seems more darkly twisted with repeated viewings, necessitating an immediate rewatch after the credits roll.  

A sense of awe and wonder enhances a plot that isn't entirely defined by the carefully calculated dinosaur appearances, but a family stuck in a world no longer recognizable as their own. This pulse pounding scenario also happens to be a lot of fun, full of tiny moments and rewarding details that pay off in the end. It feels like the mind bending thriller we've waited for by being aware of the rules, but still willing to push the envelope as far as it can possibly go.