Antlers

This was running in our cinema for about six days, so I naturally didn't have time for it, I was angry and waited about three months for the release. So it was all the more disappointing afterwards. Antlers is simply such a very average mythological, horror snack that disappoints with its straightforwardness, because everything is revealed too quickly. It's that classic story with a monster, some bad past of the main heroine, who is now trying to please her hometown, which hides secrets from the local mines. The finale is then quite overcooked phantasmagorical action. Nothing groundbreaking, so money saved. (2022-02-11)

Scott Cooper blew me away with Hostiles, so in the back of my mind I was hoping it would be no different with his bold horror move Antlers. Sadly, that didn’t happen, and as much as I wish it would work, it can't be rated more than two stars. It's clear from the start that the film has no ambition to be the hit of the year and is simpler in almost every way – three characters, three locations, one occasional monster and there's no constant scares or thick and relentless horror atmosphere to speak of either. The film basically has an hour-long introduction, where you are just waiting for that final climax and the final carnage, but paradoxically, where the film should excel, it feels most comical, rushed, unoriginal to the point of ridiculousness, and the whole previous effort is completely obliterated. Not to mention that the concept of the monster is not explored at all and we don't even get the basic answers as to WHAT and WHY it happened. Antlers is a director's misstep and a cinematic blunder that fortunately can be survived in the theatre without harm, but at home I probably wouldn't have lasted to the end. A week later, I don't know what it was about. (2021-11-02)

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. (2023-10-18)

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. (2024-02-13)

Pray it desires not you. Scott Cooper captures the gloomy beauty and relentless cruelty of American rural life, let’s face it. It’s just a pity that the charming subtlety suffered from the clichéd implementation of classic traumas and the final duel between the Jabberwocky and the teacher. An interesting police team composed of "I'm Sheriff Again" Plemons, the old totem Graham Greene, and Horatio Rory Cochrane transferred to Oregon. It was to be expected that these deer hunters wouldn’t have a good score with Wendig. (2021-12-16)