Antlers (2021)
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A school teacher's attempt to help a troubled student uncovers a terrifying supernatural curse involving a legendary demon.
The story
In the small town of Cispus Falls in central Oregon, a school teacher named Julia Meadows becomes concerned about one of her students, Lucas Weaver. Alarmed by his frightening drawings and behavior, Julia suspects he is being abused at home. Spurred by her own past experiences with childhood abuse, she becomes determined to help him. However, she is unaware that Lucas's father, Frank, is harboring an evil demon in their home. As Julia investigates the Weaver household, she discovers a dark secret involving a creature that feeds on the family.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Cispus Falls, Oregon, Frank Weaver runs a meth lab and is attacked by an unseen creature, leading him to lock his children, Aiden and Lucas, in an attic. Three weeks later, Julia Meadows, a teacher who suspects Lucas is abused, visits the home. She discovers Frank has been transformed into a savage, antlered creature—a wendigo—after killing a school principal who entered the attic. Frank kills Lucas's bully and the police find parts of a corpse and an antler in a mine. Julia learns from Warren Stokes that the wendigo is a legendary demon that passes from person to person and can only be killed while feeding. Frank uses Aiden to lure out the deputy sheriff, killing him. Julia and Lucas eventually confront Frank in the mine. Julia kills the wendigo-possessed Frank, but the spirit passes into Aiden, whom Julia then stabs to death to end the curse. The film ends with Julia and Lucas staying with Paul, while Paul begins to cough up black bile, suggesting the curse may still linger.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- United States; Mexico; Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Scott Cooper
- Writers
- C. Henry Chaisson · screenplay; Nick Antosca · screenplay; Scott Cooper · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Keri Russell · Julia Meadows; Jesse Plemons · Frank Weaver; Jeremy T. Thomas · Lucas Weaver; Graham Greene · Warren Stokes; Scott Haze · Clint Owens; Rory Cochrane · Paul; Amy Madigan · Ellen; Sawyer Jones · Aiden Weaver; Dorian Kingi · the wendigo; Dan · deputy sheriff Dan
- Genres
- supernatural horror; horror thriller
- Themes
- generational trauma; drug addiction; child abuse
- Tone and mood
- dark; atmospheric; disturbing
- Setting
- Cispus Falls, Oregon, during the present day.
- Premise and plot tags
- supernatural; demon; curse; spirit possession; monster
- Source material / true-story basis
- Nick Antosca's short story 'The Quiet Boy'
- Content notes
- horror
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising its cinematography and acting while criticizing the screenplay. It received a weighted average of 57 on Metacritic.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 57 · scale: 100 · review count: 33; PostTrak · score: 59%
- Production trivia
- The film was delayed twice from an April 2020 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.; Exterior scenes were filmed in the town of Hope, British Columbia, standing in for the Oregon town.; The screenplay was adapted from a short story that was not published until January 2019.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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