Director Guillermo del Toro and actor Jesse Plemons (“Breaking Bad”) were busy last year. Del Toro released “Nightmare Alley,” and Plemons is in “The Power of the Dog,” and both films have garnered their share of Oscar nominations. “Antlers” represents a collaboration between the two, with del Toro producing the film, based on the short story “The Quiet Boy,” by TV writer Nick Antosca, and Plemons in a major role. While it's a reasonably entertaining horror film, I don't think it's going to be winning any Academy awards.
The story starts with a couple of meth-cookers, who discover something dangerous in an old mine. A few weeks later, we meet Julia (Keri Russell), a local teacher. Her student Lucas, the son of one of those meth cookers, is acting strangely and drawing horrifying illustrations. Julia and her brother, who is the sheriff (Jesse Plemons), discover that Lucas's family is harboring an ancient evil.
As a horror premise goes, it's a good start. Director Scott Cooper ("Crazy Heart") creates an appropriate sense of dread, with good cinematography that makes use of the gray, Oregon skies and dense, foreboding forests. He's working with a great cast here, including the excellent character actress Amy Madigan as the school principal. Even the child actors are good. The story, though, feels half-baked. I found it entertaining, but unsatisfying. Somewhere between a psychological drama and a creature feature, “Antlers” loses its way.
2.5 stars out of 5
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