Antlers

Given the director and the great trailers, I guess I was expecting something more substantial from Antlers, something I didn’t get in the end, but this is still an enjoyable intimate horror film that I have no major problem with. Scott Cooper has the craft in the bag, he consistently manages to keep the atmosphere grim, and when it's supposed to be creepy and uncomfortable, it is creepy and uncomfortable. Good casting, especially the kid in the lead role is great, and Keri Russell is not wasted. What unfortunately fails are the attempts at social insight that could have elevated Antlers into the high-brow horror category. But the script doesn't elaborate on them and doesn't present them in a way that would have a significant impact on the viewer, and so they end up looking more like mandatory filler among classic horror genre attractions. I also have to say that the film loses a lot of its mysterious impact in the last minutes of the finale, during the “fair fight” between the heroine and the monster, which I could have done without. But even so, positive impressions prevail. I believe horror fans can safely rate it 7/10, for the rest it’ll probably be a bit lower. (10/29/2021)

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 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)

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)