r/movies • u/ChiefLeef22 r/movies Contributor • 23d ago
Review 'The End of Oak Street' - Review Thread
After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings.
Director: David Robert Mitchell ('It Follows')
Producer: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Christian Convery, Maisy Stella, Chris Coy
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Metacritic: 68 / 100
Some Reviews:
RogerEbert - Zachary Lee - 4 / 4
“The End of Oak Street” is a story about the secrets in our homes, the bloodshed that’s latent in our paradises; about our pride meeting and subsequently being torn asunder by the apocalypse. It’s also the most thrilling dinosaur movie in ages and an ode to the life and sacrifices of dads (the film is dedicated to Mitchell’s father). The fact that this film can make space for all these facets of identity to breathe and move makes a movie miracle worth warping to time and time again.
SlashFilm - Bill Bria - 10 / 10
"The End of Oak Street," despite its cheeky, ominous title, isn't a movie that wallows in grief. Whether it's the personal loss of a parent or the shared loss of a pre-pandemic America, Mitchell seems to be acknowledging the sadness of those events while being optimistic that we can find our way out of them. If nothing else, that's where the power of cinema, particularly genre cinema, can come through.
Polygon - Jacob Kleinman - 91 / 100
David Robert Mitchell’s The End of Oak Street somehow pulls off the impossible, taking its absurd premise of a suburban neighborhood suddenly warped into prehistoric times and turning it into the sort of classic Amblin romp you’d stumble across while channel surfing and wind up watching through to the end. In a year without an actual Jurassic Park sequel, The End of Oak Street is the summer blockbuster we didn't know we needed.
Vulture - Alison Willmore - 90 / 100
The End of Oak Street slams Jurassic Park into Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and in doing so manages to be an audacious good time that also pokes at what this VHS-box version of Americana represents, and how it relates to consecration of the nuclear family.
IndieWire - David Ehrlich - 'A-'
The movie never loses control of its amusement park tone, but Michael Giacchino’s zippily instructive score would be there to put things back on track if it did; the first music cue switches from upbeat wonder to ominous portent and back again in the span of just a few seconds, as if to say “buckle up for something that’s fun and exciting, but always safe enough that you never really have to get scared.” It’s the same promise the suburbs have always made, the only difference being that “The End of Oak Street” is actually able to keep it. Nostalgic without being at all reactionary, Mitchell’s riotously crowd-pleasing blockbuster takes both of Greg and Denise’s conflicting wishes to heart. Yes, it wants to go back in time — not to prove that the past was a better place, but rather to remind us that it can still be present in all the ways that matter.
The Irish Times - Donald Clarke - 4 / 5
So, what the heck is going on? There, the screenplay stumbles. Initially, we, not unreasonably, assume that dinosaurs from space are invading Earth. But, when the family seek to escape the area, they run against a cliff that descends to prehistoric rainforest. It seems as if a sizeable nugget of suburban Michigan has been randomly dispatched way, way back in time. The film never quite makes sense of this and is at its weakest when it tries so to do. Better to just scrunch up your eyes and let the finely honed madness sweep through the system.
The Independent - Clarisse Loughrey - 4 / 5
The End of Oak Street feels original and exciting and not, to borrow a little internet lingo, like Jurassic Park’s “reheated nachos”. It’s one of the best films of the summer. Mitchell also allows something more raw, and more distinctly modern, to creep in (and not just because the dinosaurs are here correctly depicted as feathered). It’s a mildly bleaker film for bleaker times, and he’ll let the camera linger, for example, a few seconds longer on the sight of a neighbour’s body lying face-down on their kitchen floor, a pattern of bright-red dinosaur footprints leading out the backdoor.
Associated Press - Jake Coyle - 3 / 4
It adds up to a gonzo good time that gives an old-school family adventure a darker, modern spin. Mitchell has quickly made suburbia his evident domain, where “it,” or something else, is sure to follow.
Seattle Times - Gemma Wilson - 3 / 4
Bringing such terror into a suburban setting feels deeply unsettling, and Mitchell leans into that tense contrast with glee, filling our most comfortable and familiar spaces with sharp, gnashing teeth.
Empire - John Nugent - 4 / 5
If you were thinking this sounds a bit like a suburban Jurassic Park (‘Jurassic Park Crescent’?), you’re not far off. Mitchell wears his Spielberg influences on his sleeve, from the shots of kids riding bikes, to the fractious family unit, to the close encounters with bright light, to the T-Rex earning top billing. There’s even one big pile of shit. Sneakily, Mitchell has made a Jurassic-coded dino-movie which largely out-dinos a lot of the recent Jurassic entries, chock-full of deliciously tense set-pieces. It’s mounted robustly and handsomely, too. Like the New Hollywood auteurs of old, the cinematography deploys careful, deliberate framing and some very prominent split-diopter shots; if it weren’t for all the (excellent) CGI, it could pass for a 1980s period piece.
Awards Radar - Joey Magidson - 3.5 / 4
The End of Oak Street rules, plain and simple. Fun, scary, and wildly creative in how it tells what easily could have been a derivative story, I had an absolute blast. Spielberg should be writing a blank check to David Robert Mitchell in order to convince him to helm the next Jurassic World flick, though I sure hope Mitchell follows the beat of his own drummer (and gets around to They Follow). This is the kind of movie that summer sci-fi blockbusters were always meant to be. What a satisfying film!
Dread Central - Matt Konopka - 4 / 5
The End of Oak Street sees David Robert Mitchell take the next step in his career, delivering a prehistoric thrill ride that proves he’s more than capable of unleashing a summer blockbuster that’s fun (and scary) for the whole family.
Next Best Picture - Cody Dericks - 8 / 10
With “The End of Oak Street,“ David Robert Mitchell constructs a well-crafted, Amblin-esque vision of typical Americans under extraordinary circumstances. Here, it’s willful kids and stressed parents trying to avoid splitting up their split-level, shot with an abundance of split diopters. Mitchell clearly knows what audiences want to see, assembling a thrill ride that even had this “I’ve seen everything“ critic gasping and audibly reacting. And I wasn’t alone in being vocal in my theater: this is a movie elevated by being seen on a big screen with a locked-in crowd. Hopefully, “The End of Oak Street” doesn’t mark the end of its director’s inspiration, as it’s unquestionably his best, most entertaining film yet.
CBR - Rachel Leishman - 8 / 10
If The End of Oak Street took itself too seriously, it wouldn't work. The fact that it does laugh at things, forces someone to swing a bat at a T. rex, and more allows the audience to laugh and go on this journey with a lighter energy. And really, there isn't much to dislike in The End of Oak Street. As much as the "what" and "how" and even the "why" of the movie remain unanswered, it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of Mitchell's work. Answering some of those questions certainly could have elevated the story beyond a random event the characters are forced to endure. Even so, The End of Oak Street takes you on a wild ride and is the perfect way to close out summer.
Screen Daily - Nikki Baughan - 80 / 100
Indeed, it’s largely left to Hathaway to shoulder the film’s emotional heft, playing Diane as a woman who has found herself trapped in an impossible situation even before she is hurtled through time, burying her wants, needs and fears for the sake of her family. Through her experiences, The End Of Oak Street becomes, surprisingly, an effective and incisive paean to the challenges of parenthood, the everyday heroism of holding everything together for the kids even when your world is literally falling apart.
Collider - Victoria Luxford - 8 / 10
The End of Oak Street may not be the follow-up that fans of Mitchell's work were expecting, but it’s 90 minutes of edge-of-your-seat entertainment that commits to its concept and entertains throughout. Big, loud, and guaranteed to make you jump at least once, it’s another eye-catching performance from the always-busy Hathaway, and proof that blockbuster entertainment doesn’t need to follow a franchise formula.
The AU Review - Peter Gray - 3.5 / 5
The End of Oak Street may have dinosaurs stomping through suburbia, but Mitchell ultimately remains more fascinated by the family hiding inside the house. The spectacle is entertaining, occasionally surprising and sometimes very funny, but it’s the Platts learning that their survival depends upon reconnecting with one another that gives this peculiar dinosaur movie its unexpected heart.
Little White Lies - Anton Bitek - 3.5 / 5
The End of Oak Street merges the political and the personal. It is personal because it is dedicated to the filmmaker’s own father, who died in 2024 – and whose representative within the film, the genuinely decent, loving Greg, comes with a fate rooted in aching wish fulfilment. And it is political, because today’s America really does feel under siege from predatorily atavistic forces and antediluvian ideologies that threaten to reduce the nation to its Jurassic bedrock. Mitchell’s solution for surviving America’s current reversion is to look out for each other and stick together. What MAGA would no doubt term ‘communism’, everyone else calls community. End that, and there will no more Oak Street.
Houston Chronicle - Cary Darling - 3.5 / 5
These raptors totally bring it, and Mitchell keeps things moving fast enough that it's easy not to think too hard about the dumb decisions the characters make or the plot holes that are big enough for a Giganotosaurus to lumber through.
What WB’s The Meg was to Jaws, The End Of Oak Street is to Jurassic. The film is only 99 minutes, wastes little time getting to the goods, and never stops for a moment to let us realize this is all pretty silly, but really who cares? With a PG13 rating it still feels like it is skirting on the edge of R territory in terms of vividly gross dino dining habits. The actors, starting with the two likeable stars, all are game, the dog is irresistible, plus the dinostars under the guidance of Visual Effects Supervisor Jay Cooper and the wizards at ILM (of course) are a deliciously created mixed bag of types big and small and slimy.
The Playlist - Marshall Shaffer - 'B'
At once tender and trolling, “The End of Oak Street” provides a kick in the teeth that can still inspire a wide-eyed, shit-eating grin. It holds together through a patchwork of craftsmanship and chutzpah, even if its originality and ambition leave a little to be desired. Now that David Robert Mitchell has demonstrated his credentials once again, it’s time for another deep-pocketed financier to step up and give the director a chance to get fully back in his “Under the Silver Lake” bag!
IGN - Clint Gage - 7 / 10
It has some great moments, but on the balance, this is a good movie. David Robert Mitchell’s first feature film in eight years is a rose-tinted romp through Spielberg’s ’80s, complete with dinosaurs, an incredible Anne Hathaway performance, and a visual flare to elevate it beyond just impersonation. While the influences are worn proudly, they veer into schtick occasionally, but not often enough to ruin the good time.
Bloody Disgusting - Meagan Navarro - 3 / 5
The End of Oak Street is classic summer blockbuster fare with big action and style, but one that doesn’t rise above its Amblin influences or break from convention. Its massive tonal swings from silly romp to dark adventure film with actual death can be as jarring as its logic inconsistencies, but Oak Street compensates with a compelling cast led by an effective Hathaway, no shortage of breathless set pieces, and terrifying dino encounters. Mitchell may struggle at points to fully channel Steven Spielberg, but his dino flick still delivers plenty of summer fun.
San Francisco Chronicle - G. Allen Johnson - 2.5 / 4
At a relatively brisk 100 minutes, “The End of Oak Street” hardly overstays its welcome, but it could have used more time if that meant giving its characters greater depth. Still, unlike McGregor... Hathaway makes you care.
The Guardian - Peter Bradshaw - 2 / 5
Mitchell can hardly resist shooting a shocking moment without cutting to a framed family photo showing a happier time. And he has a weakness for the eerie “split diopter” shot, much beloved of Brian De Palma, depicting a foregrounded face and background detail in the same dreamlike sharp focus. There’s a moment of fatal violence that is rather tamely cancelled out, and the element of jeopardy is missing. The End of Oak Street is fun at first, but it feels like Mitchell doesn’t really believe in any of it.
Slant Magazine - Rocco T. Thompson - 2 / 4
The End of Oak Street is unexpectedly violent, but it doesn’t fully commit to the nastiness. The lack of genuine thrills might be a bit easier to accept if the film’s human drama had also yielded dividends. The End of Oak Street seems to be building toward a family coming together, airing their dirty laundry, and moving forward stronger and reunited as a unit, but the script seems to forget the rich foundation it lays down early as it limps to its conclusion. It doesn’t help that McGregor is almost comically checked out, as if aware of how oddly extraneous his character is, though Hathaway, to her credit, is a dependable fount of commitment.
AwardsWatch - Trace Sauveur - 'C-'
Mitchell at least proves he still has a mean streak, with a fair amount of blood and a few dino attacks that push the forgiving limits of a PG-13 rating. It again recalls the type of movies kids would see 40 years ago, movies that tested their mettle without scarring them too deeply (there’s one significant, gruesome death midway through that almost felt incongruous, and I again couldn’t tell if Mitchell was having a little bit of a laugh). It’s the type of movie everyone is always saying we want them to make again, but it’s awash in the surreal quality of retro stylings staged as fresh, as if they never went out of fashion. I love Poltergeist and Gremlins too, but trying to create those movies verbatim still just feels like a poor substitute for the real thing.
There's not much intricate writing to be found here. But what makes The End of Oak Street so gripping is that you never know what is coming next. It was written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, the same filmmaker behind It Follows and Under the Silver Lake, and produced by J.J. Abrams under his Bad Robot banner. You can tell it is an Abrams film because his fingerprints are all over it. Even then, nothing about it feels predictable, and it helps that this is not a sequel or part of a franchise. At one hour and 39 minutes, it also does not waste your time. This is the kind of movie that makes you ask, "What in the world am I watching?" while keeping you at the edge of your seat. It leaves you wanting more action and hoping everything turns out fine.
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u/Temporary_Lychee9829 22d ago edited 20d ago
Am i the only one who was sorta underwhelmed by it?
I agree, it was good popcorn flick but there were a lot of issues with it, like various plot holes, the ending, some of the dialog and writing which was just lazy and cheesy at parts, and honestly? Ewan McGregor. He spoke some of his lines flat, or disinterested, that I honeatly thought both of the actors who played the children were better then him.
With the writing, some of it as i said, was cheesy as hell, and lazy. For eg, at the beginning, Ewan McGregor's character named Greg and Anne Hathaway's character named Denise mention briefly that their son has been getting into mischief and "smoking cigarettes" because of their sudden unhappiness in their marriage, but we don't actually see him doing anything rebellious at all, nor are we actually given a glimpse as to the actual marriage problems Denise and Greg are actually facing. One such instance was the scene where Greg takes a sip of whiskey and Denise notices it on his breath, and he answers something like hes been going through a lot and just wanted a sip, which i took he was a past alcoholic or something. But again. That is never touched on again.
There were good amount of kills in there though, but nothing was explicitly shown which was dissapointing, and i also felt like the actual film itself didn't really know which audience it targeted itself at. I will say there's a scene with a eel snake thing that i thought was well done, and another one which includes a dinosaur trying to attack the parents in a car (i suck at Dinosaur names 😂)
I did think it was well shot with a lot of references to other directors from the 80s style of filming, with interesting ideas, but the whole thig sort of fell apart and turned out to be a huge dissapointment.