By John Corrado
The End of Oak Street is the fourth film from writer-director David Robert Mitchell, who is still best known for his 2014 horror movie It Follows, but has shown a willingness to tackle different genres across his handful of films.
For example, Mitchell’s 2010 debut, The Myth of the American Sleepover, was an indie coming-of-age hangout movie. His last film, Under the Silver Lake, was an ambitious and (dare I say) brilliant stoner noir that infamously got booed at Cannes when it premiered there in 2018, but gained a cult following once it was finally released.
Mitchell’s latest? A suburban dinosaur thriller that serves as a very enjoyable 1980s throwback adventure. Yes, The End of Oak Street plays like a feature length Twilight Zone episode, but it could also be compared to an episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. These Amblin influences are felt throughout the film, with its Spielbergian inspirations ranging from E.T. and Poltergeist to, more obviously, Jurassic Park.
The film is set in 1982, and follows Greg Platt (Ewan McGregor) and his wife Denise (Anne Hathaway), who live on the quiet Oak Street with their two kids; teenaged daughter Audrey (Maisy Stella) and adolescent son Brian (Christian Convery). But their 1980s suburban idealism is disrupted one night when a mysterious flash transports their neighbourhood back to the prehistoric age, and dinosaurs start roaming the streets.
The Spielbergian influences extend to the heart-on-sleeve way that Mitchell blends the sci-fi into something that also has elements of a coming of age movie and relationship drama. There’s trouble on the home front between Greg, who is struggling to get work as a pizza delivery driver, and Denise, who is an aspiring novelist. This tension is starting to be noticed by the kids. The film works in this regard because of how the four leads create a believable family dynamic together.
Hathaway and McGregor are both genuinely good here, lending credibility and gravitas to their characters, including in dramatic moments of matrimonial conflict. Their young co-stars Stella (a standout in 2024’s My Old Ass) and Convery also hold their own alongside them. P.J. Byrne appears as an irritated neighbour, and there’s a local girl (Jordan Alexa Davis) who is Brian’s crush. But the other families in the neighbourhood are kept mostly in the background, allowing Mitchell to really hone in on the relationships between these four main characters.
If it’s grounded in domestic drama, Mitchell’s film also doesn’t skimp on the dino action. It’s filled with suspenseful set-pieces, essentially turning into an extended chase movie. Mitchell keeps it within the confines of a PG-13, while showing some real teeth at times and pushing to the edges of that rating. In another Jurassic Park connection, the film features solid visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic, bringing the various dinosaurs to life. The choice to portray them with feathers is an interesting departure from other dino media.
The cinematography by Michael Gioulakis, who shot It Follows and Under the Silver Lake for Mitchell, is also notable. While it was shot on digital, Gioulakis emulates a filmic look, and shoots it like an ’80s movie. The camera pans around the street, revealing the dinosaurs as part of the environment. We also get a number of split diopter shots (some would say the film overdoes them, but I would argue one can never have too many). The film is topped off by a wonderful Michael Giacchino score, with the composer channelling elements of John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, and Alan Silvestri.
Mitchell’s screenplay contains some brief flashes of philosophy and spirituality (Audrey quotes Carl Sagan, and characters briefly discuss a belief in God) that suggests he had a little more on his mind while writing it. But The End of Oak Street is also mostly content to just work as a well-executed thrill ride, and one that efficiently gets the job done at a lean, mean 99 minutes.
There is a get in, get out quality to the narrative that is refreshing. This is a film that doesn’t waste time, delivering on the promise of dino action and chase sequences, while adding grace notes of character drama. This is simply a fun popcorn movie, a little more and nothing less. Finally, the 4K disc does a great job highlighting the earthy tones of the film and authentic 1980s production design in a way that makes it even more of a treat to watch at home.
Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)
Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):
The 4K disc includes three bonus featurettes. A code for a digital copy is also included in the package, which ships with a standard matte slipcover.
• Banding Together: The Making of The End of Oak Street (19 minutes, 19 seconds): Looks at the four main cast members and how they developed the family dynamic between their characters, as well as balancing the mix of genres within the story, and those split diopter shots.
• Every Creature Tells a Story: The Dinosaurs of Oak Street (11 minutes, 38 seconds): A deeper look at the visual effects of the dinosaurs, and the choice to portray them with feathers.
• The Spinosaurus Attack: Driving Fear on Oak Street (6 minutes, 46 seconds): Looks at crafting one of the set-pieces, including the logistics behind crashing a car into the side of a house using practical effects.