ANTLERS
US, 2021, 99 minutes, Colour.
Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T.Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan.
Directed by Scott Cooper.
Antlers is an arresting title for a horror film. The attention is given to deer, their strength and power, antlers as a sign of strength and as a weapon.
This is a horror film which is above average, quite a strong cast with Keri Russell as a teacher, concerned about a student, a persuasive performance by the young Jeremy T.Thomas, becoming involved in the mysteries of his life and experience – but also listening to a Native American character, played by Graham Greene, explaining Native American myths, the power in animals, like deer, as well as evil presences taking these human and animal forms.
Which means then that there is a humane story underlying the aspect of horror, Keri Russell Julia and unhappy memories of her past and her abusive father, her abandoning home and her brother, Paul, Jesse Plemons, but returning after their father’s death and coming back to the family home, but still tensions between brother and sister. Which gives some edge to Lucas’s story, his brother, Frank, preparing drugs in a vast cavernous tunnel, overcome by the evil spirit in the form of a buck, Lucas confining him and he is very little brother, Aidan, into a locked cell in their house.
The first part of the film focuses on the family issues with the suggestions of horror. The grim horror takes over halfway through, especially with the gruesome killing of the sympathetic school principal, Amy Madigan.
Interestingly, while Paul is the sheriff and has his offices to support him, it is Julia who will exercise the heroics, the confrontation with the evil presence and monster, saving Lucas.
The film was directed by actor Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace, Hostiles).
- The title? Deer? Giant Bucks, size, power, force, antlers?
- The opening information and warning, evil spirits, pursuit, destruction?
- The Native American mythology, the elaboration of the myth, the evil power, taking various forms, destructive? Paul and his scepticism? Julia and her beliefs? The discussions with Warren Stokes? His explanations?
- The setting of the tone, the long tunnel, the darkness, the flare, Frank and his partner, the drug production? Lucas and is waiting in the car, Frank’s strictness? The noises in the tunnel, the eerie presence, the deer, the attack?
- The transition to the story of Julia and Paul? The filling of the background, the images of the abusive father? Paul and is reticence about what happened to him? Julia and her memories, leaving, abandoning Paul? The father’s death? The return, back to the house they grew up in, her taking the teaching job? Paul and his being the sheriff, no one else willing to be the sheriff? Interactions between brother and sister, the tensions? The discussions?
- Julia, teaching, getting the children to tell stories, mythical stories, Lucas, quiet, at the back of the room, his sketches and their eerie content, his telling the savage story, the cannibal ending? The contrast with the young girl and her story of Goldilocks? And the contrast with the bullying boy and his treatment of Lucas? Julia and her concern for him?
- Lucas, age 12, small, bullied, at home, the locks, Frank and his being transformed into a monster, Aidan and his age, in the cell with Frank? Lucas providing food, dead animals, dead humans?
- Julia and her concern, following Lucas, having the ice cream, the discussions, his shrewdness? Julia discussing with the principal, the principal going to the house, unlocking the door, the attack and her death?
- Paul, Dan as his assistant, the police work, the search for the missing principal, the finding of dead bodies? The monster in the barn, the attack on Dan and his death, the attack on Paul, Julia arriving, the rescue?
- Lucas, experiences of terror, his brother loose, Aidan disappearing, his being taken to the hospital, Julia wanting to care for him? Taking him home? His escape, going to the tunnel, Julia entering, finding Aidan?
- The monster in the tunnel, embodiment of evil, Julia and her heroics, the confrontation, the fight, taking out his heart, the knife? Her embracing Aidan and killing him? Taking Lucas home?
- The imagery from the introduction, humans to spoiling the Earth, nature rising against it, and the embodiment of evil powers and destruction? But humans able to conquer the evil presence?
