{"id":356904,"date":"2021-10-23T04:28:42","date_gmt":"2021-10-23T01:28:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/antlers-explores-grief-with-abuse-depression-and-a-wendigo\/"},"modified":"2021-10-23T04:28:42","modified_gmt":"2021-10-23T01:28:42","slug":"antlers-explores-grief-with-abuse-depression-and-a-wendigo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/antlers-explores-grief-with-abuse-depression-and-a-wendigo\/","title":{"rendered":"#&#8217;Antlers&#8217; Explores Grief With Abuse, Depression, and a Wendigo"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af5e219576e4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af5e219576e4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/antlers-explores-grief-with-abuse-depression-and-a-wendigo\/#Recommended_Reading\" >Recommended Reading<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#&#8217;Antlers&#8217; Explores Grief With Abuse, Depression, and a Wendigo<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<figure class=\"sf-entry-featured-media \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"494\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/antlers.jpg\" class=\"articlethumb wp-post-image\" alt=\"a drawing in Antlers\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/antlers.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/antlers-768x474.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><br \/>\n                        <span class=\"sf-entry-flag sf-entry-flag-creditline\">Fox Searchlight<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p><!-- START BYLINE --><\/p>\n<div class=\"row align-items-center justify-content-center my-4 text-center medium dark-gray\">\n            By\u00a0Rob Hunter\u00a0\u00b7 Published on October 22nd, 2021\n            <\/div>\n<p>        <!-- END BYLINE --><\/p>\n<p>        If you\u2019ve felt as if the last few years have been more traumatic than most, please know you\u2019re not alone. If, however, you feel that the same time frame has seen an uptick in horror films about trauma, well\u2026 you\u2019re still not alone. To be fair, elements like trauma, grief, and PTSD have been present in genre films for decades, but there\u2019s no denying that they feel far more concentrated these days. Horrors as diverse as <em>Doctor Sleep<\/em> (2019), <em>Midsommar<\/em> (2019), and <em>Halloween<\/em> (2018) have <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roached the idea in different ways and with varying success, and now one more horror movie can be added to the list. <strong>Scott Cooper<\/strong>\u2018s <strong><em>Antlers<\/em><\/strong>, unfolds amid a town that\u2019s struggling and with characters who are drowning in their own emotional prisons. It\u2019s a dark and dreary ride, but happily, it also comes with a terrifically creepy creature as well.<\/p>\n<p>Julia (<strong>Keri Russell<\/strong>) has returned to the small Oregon town where she grew up, and all it took was the death of her abusive father to draw her back. She\u2019s living with her brother the sheriff (<strong>Jesse Plemons<\/strong>) and still struggles with what she endured at their father\u2019s hand, but each day that she resists the drink and works to teach kids at the town\u2019s elementary school is a victory. One child catches her eye \u2014 Lucas (<strong>Jeremy T. Thomas<\/strong>) is becoming increasingly withdrawn, distanced, and timid, and Julia believes she recognizes the signs of abuse that she\u2019s all too familiar with. A quick search of his desk seemingly confirms it as she finds grisly drawings, the bible, and books on evil spirits and animal traps. Something is definitely wrong with the boy, but Julia could hardly predict the truth.<\/p>\n<p>About how Lucas\u2019 father was attacked by a creature out of Indigenous mythology. And how both the man and Lucas\u2019 younger brother became sick after and in need of fresh meat which Lucas supplies. And how his dad is turning into something monstrous.<\/p>\n<p>The long delayed <em>Antlers<\/em> probably wasn\u2019t held back by Oregon\u2019s Tourism Bureau, but you wouldn\u2019t necessarily blame them for trying as it\u2019s a less than flattering look at the state \u2014 opioid addiction, domestic violence, white supremacy, unemployment, the sense that no matter what you do you can never shake the cold and wet that\u2019s seeped into your bones. (Not saying it\u2019s inaccurate, but it\u2019s certainly not all Oregon has to offer\u2026) Now that it\u2019s here, though, it seems clear that in addition to Covid-related delays there might have been some concern over the film\u2019s final cut. As it stands, it feels at ninety-nine minutes like shaky executives have trimmed more than a few scenes in the hopes of lightening the oppressive and overcast tone and speeding things along. If so, it\u2019s a shame, as the bones of something grim and special are still here even if the flesh has been gnawed away.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re given the briefest of glimpses of the antlered beast at the very start, but it takes what amounts to a cameo from the film\u2019s sole Native American character (<strong>Graham Greene<\/strong>) to explain to both characters and audiences alike that the creature is a wendigo. Julia buys into it im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely even if her brother Paul remains more rational, but as Warren (Greene) says, it\u2019s strange that the being\u2019s presence seems wholly disconnected from the area\u2019s Native population. And with that, the film\u2019s Indigenous element is complete. Centering the tale on specific characters is fine, but it\u2019s an odd and arguably disrespectful choice to literally bring in a single Native character to offer expositional lore only to then peace out completely.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s probably for the best, though, as iterations of the wendigo with a deer\u2019s antlers \u2014 the kind most often captured in genre entertainment and repeated here \u2014 is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wendigo\">a European addition to Indigenous myths and legends<\/a>. An element that does carry over involves the spirit\u2019s voracious appetite for human flesh. Once it\u2019s taken possession of a human host it eats and eats only to grow ever hungrier. It\u2019s an idea rife for metaphorical application in horror, but <em>Antlers<\/em> instead simply sets it loose on the desperate and downtrodden as if their own depths have drawn the creature\u2019s teeth their way. The script (by <strong>Henry Chaisson<\/strong>, <strong>Nick Antosca<\/strong>, and Cooper) touches on these ideas, including mention of the beast\u2019s singular weakness, but the film\u2019s third act feels so rushed that the details are lost in the rain.<\/p>\n<p>What remains are a pair of strong performances by Russell and Thomas and the oppressively heavy weight hanging over their heads. Both have suffered, both are suffering, and it\u2019s that bleakly realized shared trait that draws them together. Both actors, and the film itself, capture their quiet pain well without resorting to showing their numerous abuses to audiences. We get it, we see it on their faces and in the way they carry themselves, and we worry something even worse awaits them in the dark.<\/p>\n<p>Cooper delivers both atmosphere and legit thrills with <em>Antlers<\/em> whenever the creature arrives on scene, and its mixed presentation of practical effects and CG succeed and creating a memorable monster. It\u2019s a brute of a beast with one close-up of its face drawn out with terrific results, and Cooper even finds unsettling creepiness in the monster\u2019s still human form. The dreary atmosphere amplifies an understanding as to why and how people give up on themselves and others, but like sunshine in the Fall sky, the drive to overcome it all struggles to break through. One character makes an attitude shift with no precedence, another acts on knowledge we never saw them acquire, and the abrupt end leaves more questions than answers.<\/p>\n<p><em>Antlers<\/em> features a few jump scares along the way, and one of them is a damn doozy, but the denser elements of horror feel lost to the cutting room floor (if they were even filmed, it\u2019s possible this is just a weak script). From residual trauma to a disregard for original peoples and beliefs, from facing what haunts you to the dangers of unconditional love \u2014 the wendigo\u2019s presence offers the filmmakers plenty of meat for the film to chew on. Unfortunately, it still leave viewers hungry for something more.<\/p>\n<p>        Related Topics: Antlers<br \/>\n        <!-- AUTHOR BOX --><\/p>\n<div class=\"gray-bg p-4 border small mb-5\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center text-md-center\">\n<div class=\"col-md-2\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dca6f7118e64ea9aa6ef4f60221cfe7e?s=96&amp;d=mm&amp;r=x\" class=\"circle img-fluid\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\">\n            Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he&#8217;s so damn young. He&#8217;s our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists &#8216;Broadcast <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a>&#8217; as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FakeRobHunter\">@FakeRobHunter<\/a>.        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>        <!-- START RECOMMENDED READING 1 --><\/p>\n<section class=\"recommended py-5\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recommended_Reading\"><\/span>Recommended Reading<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- END RECOMMENDED READING --><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/antlers-review\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=antlers-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#&#8217;Antlers&#8217; Explores Grief With Abuse, Depression, and a Wendigo&#8221; Fox Searchlight By\u00a0Rob Hunter\u00a0\u00b7 Published on October 22nd, 2021 If you\u2019ve felt as if the last few years have been more traumatic than most, please know you\u2019re not alone. If, however, you feel that the same time frame has seen an uptick in horror films about&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":356905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/antlers.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-356904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=356904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/356905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=356904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=356904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=356904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}