About the film (courtesy of Searchlight Pictures):
A small-town Oregon teacher (Keri Russell) and her brother (Jesse Plemons), the local sheriff, discover that a young student (Jeremy T. Thomas) is harboring a dangerous secret with frightening consequences.
Scott Cooper hasn’t been in the director’s chair since helming the brutally violent western drama Hostiles (2017) starring Christian Bale. As a matter of fact, in all but one (Crazy Heart (2009)) of Cooper’s first films, violence plays first chair in capturing audiences attention with his unwavering attempts at hammering certain aspects home. In his latest feature, Antlers, I’m here to tell you that not much has changed in his techniques of blunt and shocking visualizations.
Antlers weighs in at just under 100 minutes of runtime. While not long by any stretch of the imagination, it does feel slightly drawn out as it pertains to keeping the plot moving while setting up supporting characters’ stories. Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons are the two main leads with Jeremy T. Thomas being the main younger person of interest. The plot starts of rather quickly but then slows to a foxtrot before galloping towards the finish line in the final act.
In a fashion that is similar in these types of movies, it’s quite some time before we get our first real good look at what is terrorizing this community. Mystery and intrigue are always welcome and Antlers tries to not disappoint. The odd man out in the casting attempts are made to build of the horror of what’s to come is Jesse Plemons. He’s clearly not a bad actor but I don’t feel that his performance translated well for the type of character needed. Keri Russell, on the other hand, is just what the doctor ordered. Her concerned, driven, yet frantic persona is what was needed to provide the story with its cog that would make irrational decisions that often turns bad into worse.
Antlers does fall victim to the same shortcomings that so many previous entries of the horror genre have been afflicted by over the years. In a weird sense, maybe you haven’t done your job checking off all of the obligatory boxes if someone in the audience doesn’t mutter “don’t go in there” or “I’d just leave” or simply “NOPE!” These types of films have always been stereotypes that have people repeatedly making the poorest decisions that no one in their sane mind would make. It’s also why, in my opinion, GEICO has one of my all-time most entertaining advertisements that airs more often around this time of year.
Some of the decisions written into this story are nothing short of boneheadedness. That said, without these logic-lacking moments, half of the peril would be avoided, and where’s the fun in that?? Don’t get it twisted, this is not a film to be praised, nor isn’t among the best of anything. But, you know what? It’s okay not to be the best. Antlers serves its purpose as a mildly entertaining horror film that succeeds more than it fails, even if only by a small margin. You’re given a few jump scares, a whole lot of gruesomeness and a story based off of familiar folklore.
If you’re looking for a selection that’s firmly planted in the horror neighborhood that isn’t afraid to try to make you feel a tad bit uncomfortable at times while embracing its R-rating, Antlers isn’t a bad option to see in theaters this Halloween weekend. Now playing everywhere.
