4K Digital Review: Antlers

 

Antlers is set in an isolated Oregon town, where Julia (Keri Russell) is a school teacher. She moves in with her sheriff brother Paul (Jesse Plemons) as she deals with her abusive past at the hands of her father. One of her students is a young boy named Lucas (Jeremy T. Thomas) who draws strange things, is fairly quiet and is picked on by his peers. At home, his life is even worse with no electricity and he is feeding something behind a heavy locked door. As people in the town go missing and end up being found in various pieces, Julia notices that it seems that Lucas is at the center of them all. 

While not a perfect horror movie, there is some typical horror movie character actions and the story heads off in a tangent for short while. But when the film works, it is smart and it is scary. Keri Russell shines as a character trying to deal with her past abuse and addiction while trying to find the brighter side of things. Jeremy T. Thomas is also stellar and turns in a performance well beyond his years.  

Video

The film's visual style is purposefully limited to darker colors and drab lighting that creates a wonderfully creepy vibe. The 4K resolution makes the blacks rich and deep and shadows are excellent. Skin tones look extremely lifelike as do close-up details of the town and clothing. Another fine 4K presentation from Searchlight and Disney. 

Audio

The 5.1 audio mix is solid and fills the room. Channel separation is excellent as sound effects are definable in the room. Dialogue is front and center and crystal clear. 

Bonus Features*

• The Evil Within – Co-writer/director Scott Cooper gives us a glimpse of the many complex layers at play in his approach to making Antlers, a horror film about very human concerns, and his most ambitious film to date.
• An Exploration of Modern Horror with Guillermo del Toro – Producer Guillermo del Toro traces the lineage of elevated horror in cinema. Employing his encyclopedic knowledge and passion for the horror genre, he discusses the connection between mythology and human behavior.
• Artifacts and Totems – The filmmakers discuss how they created this world of a small, tight-knit Northwest community of working-class Americans in bringing Scott Cooper’s vision to life.
• Gods Walk Among Us – An in-depth exploration of the digital and practical effects used to create the film’s primal creatures.
• Cry of the Wendigo – Discover the fascinating folklore behind the wendigo from the film’s First  consultants. Learn about the creature’s mythic origins and about its connection to man’s betrayal of the land.
• Metamorphosis – At the center of Antlers is a transformative performance by Scott Haze. Hear about the actor’s preparation for filming, including how he lost some 70 pounds in order to play a deeply tragic character.
• Comic-Con @ Home with Scott Cooper and Guillermo del Toro – Steve Weintraub moderates this candid Comic-Con@Home 2020 Panel interview with Guillermo del Toro and Scott Cooper. Hear the filmmakers describe their process, and learn who some of their filmmaking heroes are.

 

Conclusion

Antlers is a compelling horror film with a high quality 4K video presentation and wonderful 5.1 audio mix with insightful extras. Highly recommend.