TL;DR – This 80s homage film triumphs on one important facet: Anne Hathaway fighting dinosaurs.  

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

The End of Oak Street Review Introduction

Now, if you know me, I make absolutely no apologies that I am a dinosaur fiend when it comes to media. Give me your Jurassic Parks, your Dinotopias, heck, you want to add dinosaurs to Star Trek, I am here for it. But if you are going to add dinosaurs to a film, they can’t just be a token addition; they need to mean something, and thankfully that is not an issue today.

So, to set the scene, in 1982 there is a quintessential suburb in America called Flowervale that does all the stereotypical things. They have block parties, the kids ride around on their bikes, and neighbours get upset with dogs pooping in their yards. On Oak Street in this suburb lives the Platt family: wife Denise (Anne Hathaway), husband Greg (Ewan McGregor), daughter Audrey (Maisy Stella), and son Brian (Christian Convery). They are the perfect nuclear family on the surface, but in private the cracks in Denise and Greg’s relationship are threatening to become a gorge. But all of that changes one night when the lights start to flicker, everyone’s ears pop, and odd noises start coming from the forest. That’s when the screams start.

Ode to the 1980s

Not only is this a film set in the 1980s, but The End of Oak Street is a love letter to those action-adventure films of the period. Your Raiders of the Lost Ark, Romancing the Stone, or Goonies. Some of this comes down to the styling of the film, the cars, the houses, the costumes, the technology, etc. But it is more than just what you see; it is also how it is presented. It is filmed with an eye towards the style of the time with the framing, the colour palette, and how the shots are composed. Then add in a musical score which Michael Giacchino was clearly having a blast writing, and it almost feels like you were transported back into the past. On that front, No More Mr. Nice Geyser, dear Mr Giacchino, never change your whimsy in naming your musical scores.     

From a visual perspective, there are a lot of close-up conversations that are framed in a way you don’t often see in cinema anymore. They absolutely helped set the tension the characters were going through while also being a stark visual choice that sets the movie apart. Most of The End of Oak Street works well in the mid-budget film range because the production makes wise choices in their setting and how they incorporate the prehistoric elements. The only thing that didn’t work for me was a couple of insert shots that looked like later pickups that were very noticeably filmed on a green screen.

I Don’t Think Oak Street is in Kansas Anymore

This is not the biggest budget film featuring dinosaurs, and I was wondering how well they would pull off the depiction. But the recent Primitive War showed you can make it work on a smaller budget. While you, the audience, know how much danger is out there, you still feel the growing dread as the characters work out just how much trouble they are in. All the depictions of the dinosaurs works well; there is one variety that you will see a lot of throughout the film, but then we do get a lot of hero moments from a collection of other dinosaurs throughout, which I won’t spoil. Still, if you are interested, the hyperlinks will let you know. But I can say that each of their depictions, and all the different behaviours they exhibit, work fantastically well in this film.  

They do make some choices about how much or little plumage to give them, which I think worked, but your mileage will vary. It did take me a while to get comfortable with how they depicted the sauropods, but you do get used to it. Also, for those of you who are particular about your dinosaurs, you know the people who will go out of their way to remind you that pterosaurs and ichthyosaurs are not dinosaurs. You will need to forgive the filmmakers for taking a sample from a wide age range. I know, I know, but I think it is worth it. Each of the dinosaurs was given its due and respect, and I thank the film for that. Indeed, one of the best parts of the film is how dangerous silence can be in a film, and why you should always be looking in the back of frame.

Anne Hathaway Has a Gun

If I were to describe the narrative structure of this film, or at least the purpose the narrative holds, it is to keep the framework of the movie together while it romps through its delightful character work. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor absolutely eat up the screen as parents trying to save their family. At the same time, all those issues that were straining their relationship beforehand didn’t just disappear overnight. It also helps that they spend the time building the world before they tear everything down. Did they need a portrait of Denise holding a gun on the wall to remind us that she knows how to shoot? No, the way she talked to Mel (P. J. Byrne) already told us that, but it is always a good idea to reinforce your world.

While it also takes its visual styling and presentation from the 1980s, it also takes thematic plot elements from those films as well. But it also knows that you are familiar with those plot beats, so there are times when it champions them, and other times when it subverts them. One thing I was surprised about was just how much carnage we see on screen. This is a suburb that gets absolutely ripped apart by predators they are not ready for. At the start of the movie, there are characters that you will think will get it, but then the film will absolutely make you feel bad for thinking that. I will say that there was one plot point where I think more than a few people in the audience groaned about, and that was fair. However, to be fair, that moment is also the direct result of some truly terrible parenting decisions from Greg. The End of Oak Street also asks the audience to remember that this is a film about a suburb jumping back in time millions of years, and so it is best not to dwell too heavily about the time travel mechanics of it all. And no, to be clear, it is not a overt entry in a certain franchise that people suspected it was.  

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend The End of Oak Street? Absolutely. I had a blast with the film from its opening moments to its closing credits. The whole cast is having a ball with this movie, and the production used clever tricks to make every frame pop. This is exactly the kind of film that reminds you why seeing movies in cinemas can be so much fun.

Have you watched The End of Oak Street? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked The End of Oak Street, we would recommend Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle to you because while there is less carnage, it also gets that joy that is ripping people out of their world and dropping them in a new place seeing if they will survive or not.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The End of Oak Street
Directed by – David Robert Mitchell
Written by – David Robert Mitchell
Music by – Michael Giacchino
Cinematography by – Michael Gioulakis
Edited by – John Axelrad
Production/Distribution Companies – Bad Robot, Jackson Pictures, Universal Pictures, & Warner Bros. Pictures
Starring – Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, Christian Convery, & Jordan Alexa Davis
With – P. J. Byrne, Hudson Meek, Anne Gee Byrd, Emily Kuroda, Simms May, & Denitra Isler
Rating – Australia: M; Canada: PG; Germany: 12; New Zealand: M; United Kingdom: 12A; United States: PG-13