Denise (Anne Hathaway) and Greg Platt (Ewan McGregor) are on the brink of divorce. Though they have tried to keep it together for their children Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery), they know that they aren’t fooling anyone. But when a cosmic event takes place and shifts their suburban neighborhood into a world where dinosaurs still exist, they are forced to put aside their differences to do what they can to survive.
The End of Oak Street seemed to come out of nowhere. I hadn’t heard much about it until closer to its release date. The fact that most of the storyline was kept under wraps made it even better as it enhanced the viewing experience. I went into it expecting one thing and ended up getting so much more than I bargained for. It’s probably one of my favorite cinema experiences of the summer!
With Hathaway and McGregor at the helm, it wasn’t a surprise that they would deliver solid performances. While McGregor seemed to be more of a side character to Hathaway’s kick ass mom, the two worked well off each other. I simply can’t get over how dynamic Hathaway is as an actress. This is her fourth feature film of the year and each one has been so different, yet just as impressive as the last. Stella and Convery did a good job as the kids; there was a genuine chemistry between all four of them that really made it seem like they were a real family.
The main event was, of course, the dinosaurs. The way in which they were introduced was well done. Slowly at first, where the audience doesn’t see them in their full form straight away. Instead we are teased by little things here and there before we finally witness how threatening they truly are. The special effects used for these creatures were spot on and there were some positively terrifying moments that had me jumping in my seat. It was absolutely thrilling.
Overall, The End of Oak Street is exactly what you would want from a summer blockbuster. While it never fully explains how this neighborhood is transported back in time, it doesn’t need to. It leans into the crazy all the way that it seems believable enough to happen. The whole experience was a blast and it’s a film that I would definitely revisit in the future.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5
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