The End of Oak Street Review

The End of Oak Street is a genre film from the director of It Follows and the first theatrical film release by Bad Robot since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The Platt family live in a normal American suburb in 1982. However, there are underlying tensions because Greg (Ewan McGregor) is working as a pizza delivery driver, Denise (Anne Hathaway) is considering leaving her husband, and their youngest child, Brian (Christian Convery), has been acting out. There have also been strange incidents happening in the neighbourhood, including the appearance of a strange plant and unusual lightning. All these events lead to the neighbourhood being teleported back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Bad Robot was one of the biggest production companies in the 2000s and 2010s. They made hit TV shows like Lost and Westwood, big franchises (Mission: Impossible and Star Trek), and genre fare like the Cloverfield movies and Overlord. The End of Oak Street has been marketed that it was produced by JJ Abrams and made by the director of It Follows. It has been hyped up by Warner Bros.

The End of Oak Street is an old-fashioned high-concept film. Its premise can be summed up in one line: “An American suburb is sent back in time.” It’s a B-Movie with budget, or an extended episode of The Twilight Zone or Doctor Who. Bad Robot has had success with these types of films, namely the Cloverfield movies. It’s refreshing to see this type of film back on the big screen.

The End of Oak Street aimed for Spielbergian/Stephen King style. This was the 1980s suburban setting and an ordinary family having to combat something extraordinary: in this case, prehistoric creatures. It was about a family having to deal with their issues as much as surviving dinosaurs, and their experience acts as an unusual therapy session. Brian’s focus was falling for a neighbour and trying to avoid a rage-filled bully, traits present in Spielberg and King’s work.

The End of Oak Street can be compared to the recently released Ice Cream Man. This does sound strange, but there are reasons. Both films have a simple B-movie premise, but on opposite ends of the scale. Ice Cream Man was a notoriously bad gorefest with no real plot or characters, and it suffered bad press for its use of generative AI. The End of Oak Street aimed to be substantive. The characters were set up: there were tensions between Greg and Denise, Greg was too kind and understanding for his own good, and Denise was more protective; Audrey (Maisy Stella) was interested in science so theorised about all the wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff, and Brian was devoted to his dog. There was a basic set-up and pay-off, and there was breathing space to allow characters to think about their next actions. It was hardly award-winning stuff, and there were problems with the third act, but The End of Oak Street did the basics right.

David Robert Mitchell’s direction was able to tell a lot of backstory. There were little details, like pictures on the walls that showed some characters’ skills. Greg and Denise were flawed individuals, but that made them more relatable. Hathaway excelled as a put-upon wife who becomes a badass when the proverbial hits the fan.

Mitchell comes from a horror background, and he used that experience for The End of Oak Street. There was a lot of build-up and tension, especially during the first act. It also lived up to the promise of dinosaurs running amok in civilisation: something the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World seem hesitant to do. Although the UK version had some obvious cuts, so it could have a 12A rating.

The End of Oak Street was a solid mix of a B-Movie with Spielberg and King elements. It was a straightforward experience that attempted emotion through its characters.