 What's going on guys welcome back to the channel critical overlord here So this will be my spoiler-free review for the new horror movie coming out this weekend antlers antlers is directed by Scott Cooper based on the quiet boy by Nick and Tosca screenplay is pinned by Henry Chison Nick and Tosca's and Scott Cooper So Scott Cooper has co-written the script as long well as directed it and it stars Carrie Russell Jesse Plemons Jeremy T Thomas Graham Green Scott Hayes Rory Cochran and Amy Madigan now the movie centers around Julia Meadows who is portrayed by Carrie Russell Julia is a school teacher in a small talent small town in Oregon and her brother Paul who was played by Jesse Plemons is the local sheriff She becomes concerned about one of her students a young boy named Lucas Weaver who is portrayed brilliantly I'll add by Jeremy T. Thomas who is secretly keeping a supernatural creature inside his house Now this movie in a lot of ways can be very satisfying As you're watching it progress and then it can get very frustrating I'll say up towards that final act where it kind of goes off the rails a bit But overall I was still thoroughly surprised by this movie I could argue that maybe it's taking itself a little bit too serious since this is kind of a Movie format that we are not really new to as an audience for a lot of horror fans. Anyway Maybe you'll find that this movie is taking itself a little bit too serious because of the way It is presenting something you have probably already seen before I know a lot of you have probably played the video game until dawn as well since this is based on the windigo Folk tale and incorporates the windigo into the story but the writing as far as like the characters of Julia Meadows and The young boy Lucas who is at the center of this of this narrative Their dynamic the whole movie is really what makes is what makes and makes the heart of the film and gets your attention Very early on Lucas is clearly a very malnourished child. He doesn't have the best Resources at home. He doesn't have a lot of love going on right now in his life He just seems to be very neglected and that's another thing that the film is touching on is touching on a lot of very intense and major themes like child neglect child abuse Trauma also in words of Jamie Lee Curtis So like Julia has her own trauma that relates to her Childhood as well. That's actually why she ended up leaving this town that she's now returning to something related to trauma At her home when she was a kid related to her father. Her brother also endured something too The movie doesn't really flesh that out enough I wish they would have fleshed that out a little bit more to kind of try to drive home Why she's so concerned with what's happening with Lucas other than of course just being a very good teacher I'll add but you know other than that a lot of the characters can seem to be not fully Developed at times, but you learn enough about them There's a there's enough things that you find out going on in their life and enough things you find out They've endured for use the viewer to grow attached to them and want to root for them and want to see them succeed in the end now I would I have to add that the scenery the way this town looks ran through. It looks very torn down It also just looks very depressing I would say the way it looks enhances the obvious sad nature of Lucas and his Current outlook on life seen as how everything around him just seems to be crumbling down in His life and now in the towns That the exterior around him the scenery kind of matches all of these emotions that he has shown to people Feeling throughout the film and and the runtime of this movie as it progresses the creature design Probably one of the best things that I've ever seen on screen. I love how Scott Cooper understands the mentality of less is more because while you will want to see more of this creature design of what this Windigo looks like they keep it shrouded in darkness. They use the the use of darkness along with or dark settings with the Red lighting always a good combo in the horror genre specifically That always just comes across very well on screen especially when you're trying to build suspense Which this movie does so so tremendously it builds up the tension. It relies on body horror It relies on just you as the viewer increasingly becoming more Unnerved by every new detail you're finding out as it relates to what Lucas is dealing with at home What is actually going on upstairs in his attic because that's where he's keeping this creature and you know, it's just very horrifically heartbreaking at times to watch as well as it relates to Julia who is his teacher trying to help her student and there's probably not much she can do when it relates to Helping him because of some of the things that you're not supposed to do as a teacher and a student situation I guess but you know, she she breaks some of the rules to help to help her student and This movie honestly, it just blew blew me away when I say it blew me away Not to say this the best thing I've ever watched or anything like that if I had to rate it out of 10 I would give it a seven and a half It's just the way everything is executed and the concept of relying on building up tension keeping things very atmospheric also the use of the fog and Again, just showing off the the wilderness around you creating this claustrophobic feel feeling while you're watching You are literally teleported into this world and these feelings that a lot of the characters are feeling throughout this movie which is that feeling of desperation for Someone to help you it's your you're almost crying out for help right along with Lucas I would say just because of how well Depicted everything is on screen and how it's executed the performances are also I would say very very well done Carrie Russell is very convincing as this teacher who was concerned about her clearly malnourished child who is showing signs of abuse to her and Jeremy Thomas he is amazing as Lucas one of the better child performances. I've seen all year He knocks out of the park. He's very convincing very makes it very easy for you to grow attached and feel sympathy for the character Lucas Because no child should be going through what his he's being depicted to be dealing with at home I would say that the themes don't really necessarily mesh all that well when it relates to them trying to tie it in with the wind to go folk folk tale that it has using in narrative the themes are Horror is a good genre to explore themes like this But I don't think the two are really meshing that well here, but they're still exploring the very horrifically pleasing Pleasing manner I would just add the score is also very bone-chilling There's a lot of the moments where when you have glimpses of the wind to go The score by Javier Navarad. It looks like his name is it just since it'll send chills down your spot It'll make you very curious Just to want to see more of this monster as well But again, they understand the concept of less is more which always works amazingly There's just one intense sequence of body horror up in Lucas is an attic that completely had me just blue to the screen Again, I would have to give this movie a seven and a half out of ten If you guys haven't already of course me she subscribed turn on post location in this video in the description I have links my social media accounts my Facebook Twitter and Instagram you can message me there Of course, there's any movies news or reviews I'm gonna cover in the future with all that in mind guys I will see you in the next video