Antlers

I had a great time with this one. As much as I don’t love horror (more like my cardiovascular system doesn’t), Antlers by Scott Cooper was a big surprise. The gritty audiovisual style fit perfectly with the overall unsettling tone... The intense opening really set the stage. And most importantly, we were treated to an incredibly interesting monster. I was genuinely blown away by the flawless design (that final reveal... I was totally stunned). And the violence? I haven’t seen such naturalistic and brutal moments in a US film for a long time. And the story? Sure, I could imagine a few improvements. On the other hand, there weren’t any outright logical blunders. So, it’s good :D I give it a well-deserved 7.5/10. (02/13/2024)

Antlers is technically outstanding and benefits from having a cast of high-quality actors, but the screenplay is average, without a single idea that would make the film memorable. And it’s also dumb in places. A similar theme received a significantly better rendering in The Ritual, not only in terms of genre techniques, but also in the psychology of the character. A weak three stars. (07/23/2022)

I am always apprehensive about movies categorized as horror. Paradoxically, I'm afraid that I won't be scared, and I'll be bored out of my mind instead. It usually turns out that way. In this case, it was different. I can’t say I was scared as it wasn’t really a horror movie, but it worked very well as a sort of mystery thriller featuring my favorite Keri Russell. Even the lead child role was cast perfectly. The boy seemed to be given just enough to eat each time to last until the end of the scene, and then he was left to starve again until the next cut. In a damp cellar. The movie had a great atmosphere, and I wonder how much the producers had to pay the Londoners for giving up their weather for the duration of the filming. It was humid, it was foggy, and there was explicit violence. The only thing missing was the horror. But I enjoyed it nevertheless. (01/15/2022)

Scott Cooper, in the manner of Amadeus Mozart, might say, “My apple people understand me.” I've never bashed him. Perfect craftsmanship, as Cooper is wont to do, so what more could I ask for? Maybe just cut out the final Ripley vs. Boss duel, or put it in a different way, with smarts, a trap, or something. Otherwise, the gloomy atmosphere worked out on me, the camera taking in the autumn weather of the western borders of the United States helped a lot, evil gets lost in the deep woods. I like Keri Russell a lot (I recommend the excellent series The Americans), she's great again here and I'd like to see her in more leading roles. (10/18/2023)

The skilful Scott Cooper tried to make a horror film and I actually bought it all. I was looking forward to Antlers for a long time and surprisingly I didn't mind the intimacy and slower pace, because the film drew me in from the beginning and, thanks to the very depressing and gloomy atmosphere, I was entertained throughout. It’s beautifully shot, with excellent music, convincing performances, an attractive mythology and legend around the wendigo, and most importantly, there is really disgusting and unpleasant gore; the shots of the dead are a treat, they played around and there were some minor and one downright heart attack scare, so I am satisfied. The final appearance of the monster is so awesome that it beats even Alien, I haven't seen anything better, more disgusting, bizarre and original. For me, it was almost full worthy of a full score, I enjoyed it a lot, and every horror scene was a blast, spiced up with an amazing musical score. Story 3/5, Action 3/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 4/5, Fun 4/5 Music 5/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotions 2/5, Actors 4/5. 8/10. (11/02/2021)