ANTLERS 2021 MOVIE REVIEW + RANT

welp we finally get Antlers in theaters, but I didn't know I would be THIS passionate about it in this way... what did you think about Antlers?
INTRO 00:00
SPOILER FREE REVIEW 01:45
SPOILER REVIEW 08:50
articles referenced in this video:
www.cbr.com/an...
www.cbr.com/an...
BUY MY MERCH | www.bonfire.co...
FOLLOW MY HORROR INSTAGRAM | www.instagram....
twitter | #!...
instagram | / possessedbyhorroryt
email | [e-mail]
lifestyle | / sarahhawkinson
#AntlersMovie

[@randominic3556]

You: why did the native guy not play a bigger role in confronting the windigo. Me: because he smart he knows what that thing is capable of so he got the f outa there.

[@AreYouSufferingX]

100% he was like "this is what it is, this is how you can kill it, I want n o t h i n g to do with what happens next, thanks."

[@randominic3556]

@@AreYouSufferingX exactly lol

[@Nthirank]

I wish he tried harder convincing the teacher n her bro of how everyone is in grave danger and how deadly the wendigo is. He sounded half interested in the whole thing

[@markolson6530]

Yes you have Graham greene in just a 2 tiny cameo bits is really sad hes such a great actor ,go watch the episode of supernatural wich features a wendigo and it answers alot of your questions

[@WickedJinx]

🤣🤣🤣👏🏻👏🏻

[@PatrickWDunne]

0:51 "I tend to get eaten alive a little bit." Sounds pretty fitting for a horror channel, tbh

[@marylouasicksik8156]

As a Native American and someone who has survived childhood trauma, this movie helped me to feel less alone. The characters’ stories and the spirit of the Windego gave an accurate representation of what that type of trauma can feel like. Maybe because of my background I didn’t need things to be more explained. It wasn’t a perfect film and it’s not for everyone, but I am thankful it was made. Even if it only helps one person. It really helped me.

[@okiagari]

As much as I didn't like the execution of the creature towards the ending, I can objectively see how everything throughout would still have substance and meaning for anybody that watches. It had a little bit of that substance for me as well, though admittedly, half of my brain was hoping to see the Wendigo tearing people apart so my hopes weren't completely graceful. Either way, I'm glad you were able to get more out of it than I did, since it is still a film to behold.

[@moistwrmonastring1017]

That’s lovely!

[@jasmvnee__]

i’ll never understand why people come to YOUR channel and attack you for YOUR opinions on movies. i really liked this movie and i came to see how you liked it and i respect how you feel either way , i like looking at different perspectives and it doesn’t change how much i liked a movie ☺️❤️

[@pablodelsegundo9502]

I think half of YT views are hate watchers. That's the only reason I can imagine why the stupid algorithm keeps shitting Steven Crowder, Lauren Southern, etc recs in my main page despite never watching a single one of their videos.

[@aimeedouglas1584]

That’s the world we live in. You better agree with my opinions or I hate you and want you to be punished. Some people are shallow, coddled idiots who cannot imagine there are people who exist that have a different opinion.

[@TheDarkladywolf]

Because keyboard warriors don't have a point to argue. Instead of saying why they disagree, they have have to attack the reviewers taste and intelligence instead of arguing their points. It makes them feel superior. But it only shows their stupidity.

[@shaunfergus2476]

She seems to hate ones that are genuinely interesting and adores the boring bland horror movies.

[@TheDarkladywolf]

@@shaunfergus2476 one person's bland is another's interesting. That's the beauty of film. There's something for everyone.

[@jessemurphy2158]

Can we talk about how easily the teacher kills the wendigo 😆 like we spent this whole movie discovering (never really seeing) this creature tear people apart and parkour off of a tree to eat a child. But then she lights a flare then starts spearing it's body with a pipe, and it's just standing there taking it like 'oh ouch' .

[@cuppav2806]

It was all sneaky and tactical throughout the movie but couldn't see her coming in the cave with a flashlight shouting "LuCaS"

[@jessemurphy2158]

@@cuppav2806 so silly 🤣

[@kasperkildegaard8518]

i mean it was stated that it's weaker when feeding and that is apparently accurate to the myth as well

[@derezzed5588]

EXACTLY... IT DID LITERALLY NOTHING.......

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

Ah, because the dad wasn't showing a massive level of restraint, and completely wanted to eventually lose himself and kill his children. Pay attention next time.

[@kittygoesdowntherabbithole4799]

Nothing excites me more than having a culture's stories and lore told by it's own people. Not doing that makes the entity generic... the Wendigo could be any monster, La Llorona could be any spirit, The Forest could be any forest... Stripping cultural context strips out all that makes the entities unique. Having one minor character does not substitute for that context.

[@RealBradMiller]

Okay, but what if we make the minority character.... get this... MAGIC!

[@sexyyredsection]

I agree completely… although I think the forest does a good job of reminding you your in the japan suicide forest. The only caucasian characters are the two twins.

[@mr.l5783]

I personally don’t feel like it has to be that way. I don’t think it should be limited to that.

[@CipherSerpico]

You don’t actually _believe_ any of the things you said. You just _said_ all of that, because you want to be viewed a certain way. There has never been a moment in your life where you got an adrenaline rush, thinking “Oh my god, oh my god, there’s gonna be a film that has its stories and lore told by people from that culture-oh my god, I can’t wait, ahhh!!” That has never happened to you, or anyone else. You do not think that “the entity become generic” if a story is not told by its own people. You’ve never legitimately thought that, and you’ve never legitimately cared about that. You just _say_ that you have. You don’t care about “cultural context”, you don’t think cultural context makes the entities “unique”, you don’t think those words actually mean anything-You just _say_ you do. You don’t care about how many characters are played by people from a specific culture. You don’t care about any of those things. You don’t care about other people. You care about YOU.

[@RealBradMiller]

@@CipherSerpico And how does that make YOU feel, Chris? X'D

[@lestranged]

I saw it last week and I was kind of disappointed. It just felt like the monster could have been any generic monster, it was kind of cookie cutter for the most part and didn't have enough specialness, not enough from the native background or mysticism. We get 5 minutes of a sole (token?) native character explaining what it is, but we never know that character's name or even the tribe's name. He's only there for exposition and we never see him again. The medicine bags in the mine imply that there are more native people in the area who know about the wendigo and are trying to control it or appease it or something, but why don't we ever meet those people? It just felt like the filmmakers took the kernel of the idea from native myths but didn't want to include much else from the native world ( or hire more native actors). It just felt like a wasted opportunity. Also: they show the teacher teaching about myths and legends and what is the moral of the story, that is a pretty long scene and she makes a point that myths are invented to teach us lessons about how to behave. (don't steal bear's food, for example) . But then when a legend comes to life, the story forgets completely about any lessons or morals or what the monster is there to teach us. It just becomes generic boogeyman and you have to kill it and then everything is supposed to be fine. There is quite a bit of time also spent on the teacher and sherriff's backstory of childhood abuse, and she seems to be a recovering alcoholic, but it does not seem to have any real importance in the story other than a quick & easy way to make them more complex or troubled characters. (and even that seems cookie cutter, like every troubled cop with a drinking problem and an abusive father, I mean I know those are common in real life but it's formulaic that every movie or tv cop has the exact same backstory. I'd like to see some new or less-used tropes for trauma and 'damaged character' baggage) It provides some motivation for the teacher to want to rescue Lucas from what she thinks is abuse, but like we never hear what their dad did to her brother, for example. I feel like there must have been a few deleted scenes.

[@lestranged]

If I had waited to see it on Netflix I would think "that's a fun little throwaway scary movie". But since I went to see it in a theater, which is rare for me these days, I kind of expect a lot more from a movie I pay almost $20 to go see. It has to be special , it has to be epic, and this just wasn't. The actors were good, the cinematography and scenery were good, the gore and special FX were great, the monster itself was good and creepy, especially the human face hanging over the monster face. The problem is with the story itself. I think I was expecting more mysticism or deeper, layered backstory or something. More of the culture and spirituality that the monster comes from.

[@PossessedbyHorror]

couldn’t agree more with all of this I feel the exact same way

[@lestranged]

@@PossessedbyHorror Like when they saw the medicine bags, why didn't they find out who put them there and find out what they know, why didn't they get those people to help track or fight the wendigo. We never even know what the bags are supposed to accomplish. Do they summon the W? Do they protect against it? Do they feed it? It seems like the movie just put the bags there for ' spooky atmosphere' but never turns it into part of the story. There were wasted opportunities like that all through the movie. I didn't even really understand how both the dad and littlest boy were both possessed at the same time by a single spirit, but the dad had to eat raw meats while the littlest boy still ate normal people food and could communicate like any normal child. The little boy didn't really seem possessed while he was locked in the attic, but if he wasn't possessed why would his brother lock him in with the dad?

[@pineapple1214]

Oh my God! A boy in school is drawing scary monsters! As a public school teacher, I better investigate because, it's almost like he's behaving like...like...a regular boy!!!

[@chaoscowboy189]

Not many native actors probably wanted to be involved.

[@emblovesyou]

I love hearing your thoughts on horror!!! So interesting how I loved this movie and you were the opposite. No matter our opinions I will always love hearing your views!!!

[@gothzilla9577]

In some sources of wendigo lore, you can only kill them with fire. Hence its fear of the flare.

[@Dmfriend26]

One thing that bothered me was that the lead ends up telling her traumatic past to a child who was dealing with abuse. Don't tell a child in that situation that your dad killed himself. It just made me feel very uncomfortable. Also, I'm so excited for your book reviews!

[@laura1less]

Right? And it felt like she was telling him to 'prepare' him to hear his dead 'was dead' but, idk man, ain't teachers supposed to take pedagogical classes and to know how to deal with these situations without resorting to... that?

[@itsaviolist]

I would be curious to see what you think of the source material- the movie is based by a short story called “The Quiet Boy” by Nick Antosca published by Guernica and is quite good. I know you are a writer, so you might want to check it out if you have time and are curious! It might fit in with the other series you have comparing books\stories and films.

[@lostNapathetic]

I read the short story and absolutely loved it - totally creeped me out. I haven't seen the movie yet but the ending is definitely different .

[@BreezyStreamy]

Dude, I had to stop this review to read it, I'm like half-way maybe, and IT'S SO GOOD.

[@benjie128]

I listened to an audio recording of the book and was it was well written. Based on the critique, I'm gonna assume she doesnt know it's based on a book as from what I've seen, it's basically a screen adaptation of the short story.

[@acornheart465]

The short story has such an interesting slow burn reveal of the monster (even if you know what it is going in) and is just so much more simple and dark than the movie version. A shame they missed out on so much of the atmosphere from the original, especially the dark ending.

[@Lacey0312]

The scariest part for me was when the principal was found … the FLASH of the camera after it being pitch black made me fly out of my seat 🤣

[@joshadcock1035]

I'm not for sure because as you said it was never thoroughly explained but I assumed the reason she always stared at the same Bottle of liquor was because it was the brand of liquor her father drank. The first time in the store she was seen buying a different brand of liquor so I think that debunks her ever being an alcoholic. I assumed the brother took pills to help with anxiety. The sister left him at home to deal with the father alone so he might of had anxiety issues from that.

[@MadailinBurnhope]

I was cautiously looking forward to this movie; I love folklore horror, I love creature features, Del Toro, movies about trauma; but ultimately I'm not going to watch it, because I'm done with stories using Native creatures as the Big Bad for white people, Native stories to illustrate white trauma, and Native characters as the "mystical" stereotype to explain the danger then exit stage left; thanks for talking about that, it's been a problem since Stephen King and before, so much so that they named it the "Indian Burial Ground Trope" again, the atmosphere and setting looked so much my thing! but there are too many other, better movies I can see that do that stuff and more

[@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376]

This isn't what you think it is. Not everything is about race.

[@MadailinBurnhope]

@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 lmao thanks for your input bro

[@SY-nq3qp]

How woke of you

[@MadailinBurnhope]

@@SY-nq3qp or maybe I just have genuine feelings about this, maybe I just care about other people

[@SY-nq3qp]

@@MadailinBurnhope it's just a fictional movie

[@lexysue9556]

desperately need a wendigo movie with a full native american cast now. like why hasn’t this been made yet???? so much potential. haven’t seen antlers just like hearing your opinions 🖤

[@RicardoCon94]

It's probably for the same reasons as some of them don't like to talk about skin walkers.

[@lexysue9556]

@@RicardoCon94 oohhh that’s true! didn’t think about that

[@RicardoCon94]

@@lexysue9556 yeah there is this belief they have about avoiding the topic or it will come to you. Similar to how characters in early Harry Potter books and movies don't like to call Voldemort by name.

[@noamchomsky1342]

Cringe

[@sunsin1592]

Hell, we just need a movie that does the legend justice. This was pretty generic. You're better off reading the old story by Algernon Blackwood. Much creepier and more atmospheric.

[@catplantASMR]

I totally agree with everything you've said tbh especially the shed scenes

[@pedrohenriquesilvarizzo4766]

Me and boyfriend kept laughing at the movies with that scene. Every 3 minutes a new person would go in the shed.

[@Nthirank]

Felt Michael myers was more deadly then the wendigo 🤣🤣

[@andreaswhyattandresen6488]

@@pedrohenriquesilvarizzo4766 lmao my gf and i had the same reaction, we thought the whole town would eventually come to the shed and just take turns dying, it was hilarious

[@LunaBeth97]

When you were talking about how poc are used to dump cultural "lore" and then discarded I instantly thought of until dawn. This man who you think was the antagonist gets like 10-20 mins of screen time where he tells the wendigo story for that game and is then is killed in the next scene. What's so infuriating is that the character was supposedly the person who was fighting against the wendigo for decades and was just snuffed out by them with no thought given.

[@drdrdrk]

Was he a poc?

[@whocares4797]

@@drdrdrk I don't think so.

[@drdrdrk]

@@whocares4797 same. that said i would have loved to see such a character in Until Dawn, but it all happens during one night, so i can't imagine how could they involve such a character there. it wouldn't've made any sense

[@LunaBeth97]

@@drdrdrk I thought he was implied to be a descendant of the particular native American tribe that lived there in the newspaper articles and his wendigo fighting journal but it's been a while since I played it!

[@artheaux666]

@@LunaBeth97 no he’s just white.

[@kd8663]

I'm willing to give Candyman a partial pass since it kinda feels like the story itself is about a white person learning about black suffering, rather than just using 'ethnic person explains lore' as a quick trope. Now, worth debating whether the 'white person learns about black suffering' narrative is a good thing to begin with...

[@AVspectre]

I feel like this myth/monster could be such an amazing film with more cultural context and indigenous production (both in front of and behind the camera). I wonder though if there might be a reluctance by some whose traditions may contain the figure of this creature/corruption. Would it be frowned upon to present it for entertainment purposes? I’m not sure.

[@whoamegan10]

I thought it was very average, but I do love listening to someone pick apart a movie, so thank you for your review 😄

[@lewisoconnor5947]

I think candy man handles the trope the best (which is ironic considering it’s the oldest of the films you mentioned) cause in that movie the black characters and their culture and environment and hardships are the core of the movie narratively and thematically and continue to be explored long after the stereotypical exposition scene. Their history and the plights they face under the system are integral to the movie

[@mr.l5783]

That movie was way too preachy.

[@moistwrmonastring1017]

@@mr.l5783 I don’t know about that lol, but okay!

[@jacky409]

honestly my biggest gripe with the movie was i felt that this teacher did not have a justifiable reason to want to intervene, like yeah she was abused, and she related to that, but i felt it was such a weak attempt to justify her sympathy, like she really went to defeat a mythologicla creature cause 1 kid was drawing spooky picutres. Does she show up at all the kids homes to check on them?? i think a familial relationship woudl have made more sense, maybe hes her nephew, then that explains also why the dad isnt ever arrested. idk, i just couldnt believe this woman would go to these lengths.

[@agiantbluewhale]

I love when you mention that movies use the same shot multiple times, whether it be the same exact clip or identical set up. It’s a big pet peeve of mine and nobody else seems to care lol. As my go to horror reviewer, as someone who doesn’t watch horror movies, I appreciate it 🤣

[@RubyLS30]

I love your reviews. You keep it real and you address issues not addressed by other critics because they worry about losing subscribers, but hey that's how you find your tribe. I was worried this movie wasn't going to as good as expected .

[@volvolakaemma9209]

If you want a good wendigo movie, Ravenous is the best one I have seen to date. Wendigo is basically a manifestation of insatiable greed which drives one to cannibalism and is used in ravenous as a great metaphor for you know settler colonialism, capitalism, and manifest destiny. I have read the story of antlers and the story is a pretty decent one. Sad to see the movie didn't live up to the hype. I am not a big fan of Hollywood Del Torro anyway so I have no idea how much his involvement would have saved the movie. I actually loved Candyman 2021 and wish we had more movies like that. I still love the old Candyman and it has its themes but you are right.

[@TheDarkladywolf]

Ravenous is awesome! Not talked about enough in my opinion.

[@jneale3410]

So many times I was asking myself “why is no one calling for police back up?” I had so many questions but kept coming back to this one over and over

[@nickgennady]

I think it’s because it’s a small town and most do have very few cops. Brother even said no one else applied for his job. I would not be surprised if we saw all the cops.

[@SageK253]

Thank you so much for addressing the cultural crap that goes on with these kinds of movies. Anytime I see Wendigos in a piece of media, I tend to shut down. Especially because I know the only Native involved (if any of us are) is to be the Magical Native to explain shit.

[@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376]

That is so incredibly silly. Native Americans aren't the only culture who has had their folklore become mainstream. By your logic you should shut down everytime you see a vampire or a werewolf. Did you shut down watching the ring because they used an onryo in a western setting? Also unpopular opinion, but the modernized pop-culture version of the wendigo is so much more interesting than the original. It looks way cooler and makes more sense.

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

@@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 exactly. The Wendigo is literally just someone who broke under horrible conditions and had a break of clinical lycanthrope, or a big ice monster. It's not that interesting. The reason The Wendigo was so influential is that the monster in the novella was way more harrowing than the one in Algonquin culture. I ate people. Me hungry now. I can hear it calling me. My legs are burning! [Inhuman roar]

[@Mostly_Horror]

Sarah-I agree with you that it was predictable and I really wish they would have went more in depth on the creatures origin, but that’s my only complaint. I loved this movie, but I also love to hear your thoughts even if they are in opposition of my own😃. Great video!

[@AreYouSufferingX]

The wendigo is afraid of fire, that's why he was so afraid of the flare. A lot of stuff in the film can be confusing because you're expected to know at least some basic things about the lore going in, they were trying not to spoon feed the audience everything.

[@7KellProductions]

Totally agree and I prefer not being totally spoonfed info. As a viewer I like coming to my own understandings rather than xyz explained in great detail

[@Hispania_45]

They could have easily explained that with graham greens character lol. They chose not to like a lot of things that don’t make sense in this film. It’s the same thing with the new Star Wars movies putting out lore books for people to read to make up for the terrible writing and plot.

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

@@Hispania_45 it was established in an earlier scene. Most beasts have an aversion to fire anyway.

[@moistwrmonastring1017]

Yeah, it’s good to show and not tell, but with lore like this you’re leaving a LOT of the audience in the dark for no reason

[@em_harring]

This makes me SO MAD because the short story it's based on doesn't have any sort of indication that it's a w*nd*go (even though I also got those vibes from the trailer). I'm Native and just so tired of folks who aren't Native telling our stories poorly (and without having any or hardly any Native writers, actors, etc involved).

[@Sarah-hc6kj]

Thank you for bringing this up. In an interview the director said he didn’t want to “co-opt” stories that weren’t his… but he still did. Like if they don’t want to take from us, then don’t tell our stories.

[@butternoodles1919]

Was waiting for this review !!!🤩

[@amybenham1796]

I’m so biased but I think your point about candyman being about a white women (who never once listens to any of the black people in the movie who tells her to stay away) being the centre of the movie and poc were throw away characters.... was kinda the point of the movie. But also like fair point.

[@annawhite2005]

interesting hearing your point of view on the “fear” thing. when i watched the scene with the brother approaching the shed after the first cop died, I felt like he had some of the most genuine fear on his face that ive literally ever seen in a movie, he looked absolutely terrified lmao.. I can see where you’re coming from in other parts, but definitely not that scene. I like hearing your hot takes no matter what, but I thought this movie was such a great creature feature and I loved it!!

[@CoronaryArteryDisease.]

The actor for the brother is good because he acts more normal. His reactions are more subtle too. If it would have been me, I would have called the national guard and left the boys as a lost cause. I am terrible😅 only thing not normal about him imo

[@ValkyrieNico]

I love IT Ch 2 more than I should but it ALSO does the “throwaway native to explain thing” plot

[@ghostlygena]

SAME but in it chapter 2 we don’t even actually meet any native characters either, it’s all retold through mike which I think is even worse

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

@@ghostlygena why? Because all the natives were smart enough to get the hell outta dodge?

[@drashkana4864]

I'm just gonna give a friendly advice to both you as a movie enjoyer and all who watch your videos: don't ever watch trailers. It doesn't matter what piece of media, it can be movies, shows, videogames. Don't watch any sort of teaser, it always ends up disappointing the consumer since it creates expectations which are hardly ever delivered. It's a lot more enjoyable when you know nothing about a piece of media you've seen an announcement for and you go in with no knowledge of it. And I know this is very obvious to many, and that you as a movie reviewing channel sometimes HAVE to watch trailers to make videos about them and hype up the audience, I just think it's not worth it.

[@artdogdeb]

I can't WAIT for you to start talking about books!!!!!!!!

[@heather7603]

Why was the younger brother sick like the dad when the windigo can only possess one host at a time?

[@ChefDutch_VRM]

This is the exact opposite of everything else I’ve heard about this movie. Can’t wait to see it. I’ll be back for the rest of this.

[@xcxhrism]

@9:40 she spilled lol I had the same thoughts on La Llorona… a period piece with a Mexican cast would be awesome. Not necessarily an origin story, but that too.

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

I'm Mexican, and I disagree. La Llorona is a really bland character. La Lechuza would be a million times more terrifying.

[@Georgi_al7]

The beginning was good, the atmosphere had me captivated and really eager to know what would happen (that little kid had my heart from the start 🥲) ... which makes the third act way more disappointing. I'm pretty sure more than half of the people in the screening were laughing in disbelief of what we were experiencing.

[@cbabygags2553]

I thought it was pretty good actually, lies somewhere between 6/10 and 7/10. I don't think you're in the majority for calling it bad, but you aren't in a minority. Seems like it has mixed reviews overall, but for me I really liked the story premise, creature design, and especially the setting. I think the color palette and cinemotography really helped make the wild landscapes seem grander and more imposing. The performances were either well done or leaving more to be desired, especially from Jesse Plemons. His character had basically nothing to do and nothing to emote. The central child actor I thought had a pretty great performance, and a really interesting face for his character. My biggest critisism is the final act's route of logic. Seems like every character acted out of their own logical interest and acted only to hit the final plot points, as well as the wendigo doing the same, killing the red shirts and only injuring the leads. All it's problems considered, I liked it a lot more than I didn't, and I think it was a great little movie to go and see with some friends. *ps* I also wish that the police department was actually involved with the final confrontation, the potential for a firefight in the mines could've been so cool and made the wendigo feel like a greater adversary.

[@billiep1603]

Could be wrong but I think wendigos are killed by fire. That’s why it would be scared of a flare

[@billiep1603]

Also I love your spoiler reviews!

[@AreYouSufferingX]

You're not wrong, most people learn about wendigos from movies or shows and don't actually know the history or lore very well. They're very afraid of fire.

[@NovaPrimo119]

As someone who enjoyed watching the movie I appreciate this video and feel like you made extremely valid points. Great job!

[@nativemediatheory]

Great review and I couldn't agree more on the missed opportunities of using Graham Greene more. As someone who is passionate about indigenous representation, and who is native, it was refreshing to see a non-native be so passionate about this aspect of the film. Subbed and liked!

[@lochnessvhs]

I went and saw this on Halloween. I walked out thinking it was okay, but not mind-blowing. I gave it 3/5. Watching this, I literally agree with EVERY one of your criticisms and I think I was either on a Halloween high or a good mood in general because it was truly rough.

[@CoronaryArteryDisease.]

You probs had a bit of the IMAX effect. Movies in theaters are much better than on a tv, even if they aren’t good.

[@banxeescreems3337]

Omg same! I also saw it on Halloween. I also felt annoyed, it had Guillermo’s name to credit but none of his heart I felt. Was bleak without much depth and very one dimensional. Felt a bit fetishistic with the poverty/generational abuse factor as well. So much more could’ve been done with the story :/

[@louisdellalucca8969]

I agree 100%. A period piece would’ve been spectacular especially with a Native American cast. They went through all the trouble of getting Native American consultants to make sure the Wendigo Lore was accurate, why not make the cast accurate?

[@BakerStudios1]

Thank you for talking about how bad the Native representation in this film was- I've only seen like one other article talk about how problematic this movie really was and the rest praise it for the fact that the director consulted a few native experts. Honestly when they went to the one native character just for him to give exposition and then they forget about him, the movie was completely ruined for me. This is absolutely not something we should be doing at this point. As for everything else, I pretty much agree with what you said! And I'm so glad to see you're reading The Only Good Indians, a good read! Would love to see more videos on what you're reading!

[@cbabygags2553]

I don't think the movie was really trying to have much explanation for the beast besides the bare minimum. I believe it was a conscious choice and not neglagence, and I don't think it's fair to call it lacking in representation if there was no attempt to surpress or exclude. It wasn't as much about the wendigo as much as it was about the father, who had become the wendigo. It focused on how it didn't matter to Lucas the child, and how he just wanted to protect his family, no matter how immoral it was.

[@snakey973]

I thought it was very good, but some valid criticisms. The wendigo wasn't given enough integration into the story- it was more used as a plot device

[@dxlanx4408]

How interesting! I actually really liked this movie but I completely see where you’re coming from in every aspect. I took the movie very deeply personal (sorry for the unload here) as someone who was abused as a child. I liked that things weren’t completely explained, I hate exposition being thrown in my face. It’s also completely representative of how those who were abused or struggle with something aren’t always verbal about it, and if they are it takes years. It felt very real to me. But again for the sake of it being a movie I understand why you would want it explained, I completely get that. I felt it was much more of a dark drama than horror. I 100% agree with you on the white heroism and erasing of any type of native involvement other than his little explanation. We need more representation and accurate ones at that. I hope anyone else that saw it liked it! Or even hated it. Both are valid. :D

[@tara7261]

Yes, like the part where she said she wanted explination on the pills. Like they made it clear he has anxiety and when theyre in the hospital he says « you dont know what i went through » which to me is all the explination we needed. I love how nothing was overly explained but still quite clear.

[@dxlanx4408]

@@tara7261 it was clear to US, but not everyone and that’s difficult to realize as a viewer sometimes. Maybe we understood or related more than she did when watching it so we filled in the gaps easier and that’s okay!

[@thescrappay]

100% agree with you! This movie hits different when you've lived in an abusive household.

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

The reason the natives weren't more involved is that the natives know better. If people are turning up shredded and my community's most feared legend is starting to ring true, I wouldn't stay. Now, if a trustworthy member of the community says the seal from the story was broken, I'd leave. Either that, or they were trying to contain it. The dad might kill a few dozen people before getting killed, but the original is unkillable. It would be way higher up on the list of priorities.

[@jimroberts9327]

Emma (Spookyastronauts) liked it a lot!

[@PossessedbyHorror]

I saw that! I’m glad she got something out of it that I didn’t 😭

[@atinyevil1383]

I’m not Native American, but I’ve listened to a lot of stories about the Wendigo from either Native Americans or from people who live in areas with high Native American populations. The way they describe the Wendigo in this movie is...very bad, I’d even say inaccurate, which is disappointing because the Wendigo is such a chilling tale and has so much horror potential.

[@callhercarla]

SPOILERS POSSIBLE I was in exactly the same situation as you were with being soooo hyped for this movie and I was even more hyped for your review. I saw it already and I was torn. What I liked: - atmosphere, as you mentioned was really strong and well executed - when there’s gore, it’s greatly done as you also said - I personally really enjoyed the creature design, I loved that it was literally covered in antlers almost and also I enjoyed that it still had the Dad’s face on its face - to me it was effective enough - the first hour and ten minutes actually gave me hope for it to be a descent creature feature horror movie but it was really the shed scene(s) and the climax as well where it went down for me too, yes I jumped at the jump scare too that was a good one - the overall aesthetic: visually and aurally this movie was very effective, it created a gloomy and triste feeling and was also very haunting from time to time (the creature’s scream f.e.) that really benefitted the mood. Also I loved the introduction narrated by the (assumingely native) woman setting the tone with that little piece of lore What I disliked: - I was facing the typical I-read-the-book/story-Struggle: the short story is really really effective, like I read it and had to stop midway because I was scared. And the end was more open. I didn’t like that they forced a semi-happy ending and also I felt like they wanted to leave a door open for a sequel and that’s really a current issue with Hollywood: they can’t really finish a story - the whole showdown was not in the story and I know a movie is to be seen from another perspective but here’s the thing: If you make a movie based on a written work of fiction stick to the formula or create something fully different but I felt like if the movie ended just closely similarly to how the book ended it would be more effective - LACK OF INDIGENOUS LORE AND REPRESENTATION! I really hope for that just being a negative effect from the final theatrical cut of the movie and that we will get another extended version on DVD but if you decide to mix in the lore (which the story didn’t) then the movie should be enriched by cultural references and cultural representatives. I think this would have added to the authenticity OVERALL: This movie is by far not terrible to me, I did enjoy it. However it left me a bit frustrated because it really wasted a lot of its potential - at least the one I saw in it. Also I am aware that I might have been intrigued by the expectation I had from reading the short story. But I will definitely give it a second try.

[@CoronaryArteryDisease.]

I took a Spanish literature class a while back, and after that I have never seen Native American and Spanish influence quite the same again. I was hoping that with del Toro and academic professors involved they would provide more mysticism, mythology, history, etc. but they didn’t. Once again, I run into the problem with entertainment that it seems to not care so much about my learning. Learning and seeing something new is a lot of what makes good cinema to me. The sense of exploration. Doing more with the Popol Vuh could be sick too

[@CheerstoFears]

I enjoyed the movie decently well! I feel like it was a strong commentary on abuse. I didn't much care for the design of the creature but it didnt ruin the movie for me. I'm glad to hear your opinions on it regardless if I agree or not. I didn't hate it and I didnt love it either. That being said if you ever want tonwatch it again in a different mindset we made a drinking game for it 🤣🤣

[@laura1less]

Right? I know it's weird but I watched this movie in a hurry ao I'll have to watch it again, but I felt that what they 'tried' and I really think it was their intention, was to talk about abuse, trauma, addiction, self-fulfilling prophecies and how these things are related (kinda obvious but, yeah).

[@booradley3216]

🧐game? Tell me more….

[@CheerstoFears]

@@booradley3216 On our channel we make drinking games for horror movies and this was one movie we did when it came out!

[@SILENT_EVIL_]

As someone who's a a big fan of the folklore, I ended up loving the movie. can't wait for a physical release😊

[@thequestion4818]

This might be my favorite horror of the year

[@mr.ashtastic8063]

What?!

[@mr.ashtastic8063]

@James Leclerc no way

[@mr.ashtastic8063]

@James Leclerc didn’t see Separation, but Last Night in Soho and Halloween Kills were best horrors of the year

[@mr.ashtastic8063]

@James Leclerc did you even see Last Night in SoHo, since you’re just saying probably

[@mr.ashtastic8063]

@James Leclerc Last Night in Soho was awesome, see it

[@Megan.Shines]

For those who haven't but want to read The Only Good Indians, there is a content warning for animal death (it's pretty graphic and consistent in the book). I really enjoyed the book otherwise, but man, the intensity and frequency of the animal violence was very upsetting and I almost DNF'ed multiple times. I really enjoyed the Night of The Living Mannequins from him though, and I just started My Heart is a Chainsaw also by him.

[@PossessedbyHorror]

YES THIS very disturbing

[@rodolfojaviercampos2012]

I normally don't agree with you that much but this time OH MY GOD, I felt the same way watching the movie. The father's face on the Wendigo was so dumb, I mean... You're trying to tell me that THAT WENDIGO WAS RUNNING AROUND THE FOREST FOR DAYS, KILLING PEOPLE WITH A HUMAN FACE ON HIS FACE THE WHOLE TIME JUST TO TAKE IT OFF WHILE FIGHTING THE PROTAGONIST? LMAO

[@adam-l74]

I respect you give your honest opinion on films and truthfully if it bothers people so much there are other horror channels they can watch, I come here because I want to hear your take even if I don’t always agree.

[@shawnsatrinarodriguez4429]

And, what happened to the original wendigo who attacked the meth addicts? Did he leave town or fall off a cliff? Where'd he go?

[@Theyrecomingtogetyoubarbara]

I respect your opinion. I enjoyed it personally, although wanted to see more of the death scenes. I think years of anticipation probably hurt it, because a lot of us have been waiting so long and have really built it up.

[@lauraamati693]

I totally agree with your analysis. I was very disappointed indeed. The characters were flat, one just could not get emotionally involved. In fact, the whole film is flat and the ending I found rather cheap, i.e. like an opening for a sequel

[@PhatTooth]

While I do pretty much agree with you on the diversity bit, for me it didn't bother me as much in this movie as it normally does since I read the short story it's based on. Besides that this review felt extremely subjective. I was really hyped for this movie since the first trailer and even though it did disappoint me in some areas, it delivered in others. It felt like it was doing tug-a-war with itself by trying to be both a standard and arthouse film. Regardless I thoroughly enjoyed it and like it much better than most horror movies.

[@nonoticarly8778]

I learned that Native Americans would prefer we not speak (or even type) the name of the W*****. I did wince when you kept saying it (not as a criticism). Apparently any mention or discussion of them can summon them. I co-run an inclusive group about cryptids and quite a few indigenous people pointed this out. Just thought it was an interesting tidbit you'd be interested in knowing!

[@robk.6591]

So the Wendigo is like Candyman?

[@hctompkins]

Oh I'm working tonight and while I'm out there in the woods alone waiting for poachers I'm singing that name every hour.

[@SaintVodou]

Despite its flaws, it’s consistent and original. Not based on a video game or graphic novel, no silly romance, no one is rich. In fact, it’s set in the rusting remains of abandoned 20th-century “progress”, an Oregon mining town without a mine, about to be exploited again. The star is an abuse survivor, the villain is a metaphor for the recent wave of greed and heartlessness onscreen and off (the wendigo is starving, but the more it consumes the hungrier it gets). And Kerri Russell has been great lately, while Jesse Plemmons and Graham Greene are always great. I didn’t leave the movie humming, but it stayed with me. Isn’t that what horror is supposed to do?

[@xoxomckenziee]

sarah, i literally went to school this morning, and the first thing i did when i got there was turn on one of your vids. i just love ur channel so much!

[@PossessedbyHorror]

aw thank you! 🙌

[@jennystout8600]

Love you little stack of books! "The Terror" is one of my all-time faves.

[@SilentHill4Life]

Hey, love your content! Would you mind doing a review on The Mothman Prophecies? I think it’s right up your alley because it’s very ambient and atmospheric and it’s personally one of my all time favorite horror movies. Thank you! P.S. Has anyone ever told you that your voice causes some serious ASMR??

[@bdawnhorror]

I just saw this movie two weeks ago the night before it premiered…. So long ago? I absolutely loved this movie.

[@clementecuadra5049]

A movie with w*ndigos with a Native American cast and a different setting (maybe mountains but the setting of this movie was good too) would be so much better, and probably scarier too.

[@jacobpowell3916]

scary stories to tell in the dark & truth or dare also does this with the trope you were talking about

[@Uglysad]

I haven't seen Antlers yet but I have definitely come to respect your opinion because our rates align for the part. I appreciate your honest take. I'm still probably found to see it to 1) decide for myself and 2) support horror as a genre so studios keep making them.

[@codyclingan9764]

"that's the wendigo good luck" lmao the accuracy of that tho lol love your reviews btw

[@rmooreg]

The tension in large part due to the fact that the white people were ignorant of the Wendigo lore, and therefore were ill equipped to deal with it. Indeed they couldn't believe it existed. If the movie was about native Americans confronted by a Wendigo, it's likely this creature would have been detected and ended well before anything happened. There would be no movie because they would know what they were dealing with and what had to be done. A period piece about native Americans dealing with a Wendigo and explaining the lore in detail sounds like a great idea, but it's an entirely different movie. Not everything is a plot by white people to eclipse or marginalize other races or cultures. In this case it was somewhat crucial to the plot that the characters NOT have any knowledge of Wendigo lore, or at least be dismissive of what little they do have.

[@NikkiLove9022]

I’m sad to hear this, because I’ve been looking forward to seeing it for ages. Still not seen it yet, but I know the premise. I wanted to see it because it’s based off a short story I really enjoyed called the quiet boy.

[@AlexisApparitions]

So I literally just filmed a review for this like an hour before you posted and what do you know, we have many of the same complaints. I felt very average about this movie though, it fell in the middle for me. SPOILER ALERT>>> I loved the creature design and gore so much that I wanted this movie to be a lot scarier than it is. I was disappointed by the lack of scares too as I think it could’ve been a lot more terrifying. I liked the part at the end where Aiden had to be killed as he was becoming a wendingo, but the 3rd act in general was too predictable. I wanted more of Lucas and Aiden’s backstory so badly! The flashbacks the teacher was having were so confusing too. It feels like this movie had a lot of scenes cut out and I wonder if there will be a directors cut because it gave me the vibe that a lot was set up that wasn’t fleshed out! Especially with the native character and the lore. The biggest thing that stood out to me was special effects in this movie and I think that’s all I’ll remember about it tbh

[@TheDarkladywolf]

I really enjoyed it. I found it very creepy and atmospheric. I felt like the movie gave us enough to go on without an exposition dump. Show, don't tell. And the creature effects were amazing. It was a little too dark in the end cave scene though. And I agree that Stokes was a throwaway character. I would have liked for him to be more involved. As far as fear is concerned, I thought they conveyed it perfectly. Everyone experiences fear differently. And thank God, she wasn't a screamer. Unfortunately, it suffers from a problem, even the best horror movies have: Characters making dumb decisions to further the plot. Nevertheless, I do respect your opinion. I thought it was dumb that people unsubscribed because you like The Village. Yeesh!

[@sparkleingbrowneyes]

When I see +rant I know I gotta see the movie and I’m gonna love the video lol

[@enteruserdata4565]

Love this video! I thought the creature design at the end was dope, but the story definitely has its downfalls. Also massive W for having a copy of Uzumaki love that book!!!

[@nps86]

Mr. Greene was playing the part of, "Token race character explains their culture's lore before noping out in a horror movie cliche"

[@TheMovieBuff96]

I agree with a lot of the points you make, despite really enjoying Antlers. However, your review came off very hypocritical to me. Like, you initially say that you don't like movies that "spoon feed" you info., but you also complain that Antlers doesn't explain anything to you well enough, and that the "symbolism wasn't obvious."

[@TheMovieBuff96]

I still enjoyed the review, and will watch more in the future. I just wish this one was concise and less wishy-washy.

[@marcozg77]

I just watched this movie and while I didn't find it particularly bad, I also found it very mediocre in many ways. Maybe it's just a matter of expectations; I've watched a very optimistic review before I went into the movie, and I just found it to be very conversative and straight-forward, and not scary at all.

[@bloko7908]

thankyou for bringing up the some of the bigger issues with this movie, great review

[@hillaryheath220]

I was so disappointed after seeing this movie. Like you said, it looked unique in the trailers but they lost me 40 mins in.

[@AJafterhourz]

I just got out of seeing this movie in the theaters. The ONLY reason I went in to watch it is because of the 2001 psychological horror film “Wendigo” starring Patricia Clarkson (The Maze Runner, Parks and Rec), Jake Weber (Dawn of the Dead), and Erik Per Sullivan (Malcolm in the Middle). Wendigo happens to be in my top 5 favorite movies of all time. It’s a shame that Antlers couldn’t even come close to Wendigo; a low budget “box office bomb” which I greatly disagree with. If you haven’t seen Wendigo (2001), give it a watch!

[@KingfishWatch]

The main problem of this movie is its obvious this movie didnt supposed to be 1h30m in its runtime, ending feels extremely rushed like there supposed to be at least 30 minutes more but they were never filmed

[@thomasgledhill3706]

I love your reviews but I’ve come to the conclusion that the movies you love are the ones I hate and vice versa

[@PossessedbyHorror]

it’s not always black and white I’m sure there’s some cross overs 😏

[@JassyPooh01]

Never seen the movie but I appreciate how you talked about the helping the white hero along by explaining the lore and then those characters being throw away characters. It’s definitely a trend I’ve noticed.

[@travisspazz1624]

It was a slow burn atmospheric drama wrapped in a certain genre. So yes, it was a Scott Cooper movie.

[@okiagari]

I think it could've benefitted from more time. In fact, that might've fixed some of the issues in general cause more time = more emphasis and atmospherically-dreadful execution on certain scenes (like when Frank and Aiden Weaver get sick, and Lucas quickly becomes the only human member of his family, I just thought the cutoff was a little awkward). On top of that, the producers could have their cake and eat it too- have all the thematic setups involving the opioid crisis, abuse, etc. and then have the last thirty, maybe forty minutes (I forgot where exactly it started) involve the Wendigo going on a feeding spree. Two lesser but still pretty prominent issues regarding the Wendigo exclusively: lighting, and its weakness. I've seen a lot of people mention it, and I agree that it's obscured a lot more than it should be, especially with the abundance of mist which I don't think is necessary with all the shadows. The design was so good too. The weakness is what I think made the ending so anti-climactic, because while it feeds it's physically weaker, which is why its arm swipe didn't knock out Julia like it did Paul. If they took away that weakness, and gave us more time with the Wendigo in full-view, then having a chase scene or even having the creature take an abundance of damage, then Julia killing it would be more climactic, more fallible, more acceptable. Though if they wanted to take the novel ending and kill her, the theme would still work cause she gives Lucas the chance to kill off the monster instead. Thank you for reading my three paragraph-long rant.

[@Breaks4Life]

LOVE YOUR CHANNEL you got me back into writing again 😇🇯🇵

[@Amber_xo_133]

This film is based on the story "The Quiet Boy", written by Nick Antosca. This will be the third time for Jesse Plemons playing the role of a sheriff, he previously played a sheriff in American Made (2017) and Game Night (2018). The first film directed by Scott Cooper since Crazy Heart (2009) not to have Masanobu Takayanagi as the director of photography as well as Cooper's first digitally shot film. Jay Brazeau, who plays a doctor in the film, was also in the similarly-named 2013 film "Horns." The film features a 'Wendigo', a cannibalistic creature of Native American (Algonquin) folklore. A Wendigo is also featured in Stephen King's Pet Sematary, however, is largely unseen and in the background influencing the characters actions.

[@tornapart]

SOOO funny enough!! I did enjoy the film until I saw your breakdown and i was like ooooh shit you re right hahahh I kinda got stuck because we don’t get a lot of well made creature films. With good production design etc

[@kennanlukacs]

I waited until I’d seen the movie to see this so I could form my own opinion. I was SO excited when I first saw the trailer for this film and read the short story which was fantastic. After watching it tonight… I feel similarly to you. There isn’t much in the way of Native American lore in horror when there are just as many opportunities for it as there is with foreign lore that gets explored much more often, so I was really let down with how little lore there was. Very predictable, though it did move along quite nicely, I’ll give it that. I loved the look of the wendigo, thought the dad’s face was a dumb touch because it wasn’t needed, but the creature’s design was pretty wicked. I’m sad I didn’t like this movie because I really wanted to. Hope to get some better lore-based horror soon.

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

The wendigo lore is an anemic, anorexic, coot who lost his humanity after eating human flesh. When it isn't, it's a big ice monster. Learn what the lore is first. It's not that interesting.

[@kennanlukacs]

@@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses not sure what you’re getting at, but I’ve studied the lore and this film, while giving a good visual, just didn’t explain enough and used a token character to do what little explanation is given; I was also saying I’d enjoy more lore-based horror, not just on the wendigo. There is so much out there in terms of lore in every culture that is left as lore and not explored further, so it’d be cool to see more of that tapped into.

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

@@kennanlukacs yeah. There really isn't. The Wendigo is a cultural icon meant to symbolize the need for selflessness and community. It is not meant to make a good monster. The aversion to fire was established. The unending hunger was established. The debilitation after a meal was established. The connection to greed and selfishness was established. There was nothing left out. A token character. Sure. It probably has nothing to do with the fact that the native population is very small and the people who knew the legend noped out of there.

[@laura1less]

SPOILERS The only thing I could make was the analogy of the boy saying his dad would be fine/get better (and we know that's how he really feels when she's about to kill his little brother) exactly like some victims of abuse, at least, the ones I came in contact to; some really choose to believe that the abuser is _just_ going through a hard path/is sick (and although they probably are, that's no justification).

[@mjvelasquez9359]

I'm skipping the spoiler part because I want to watch it without any expectations. Now, regardless of my opinion on this movie I still enjoy listening to everything. I feel like you really immerse yourself enough to express your opinion. I love just how you really describe everything and pay attetion to those details that most just ignore. I bet that if you were a director and producer, we'd get a hell of a movie.

[@IsSarahPi]

The "magical person of colour who explains the lore to the white lead" trope is pretty common, eg, Dick Halloran in the Shining.

[@dantesrebellion]

Yeah, they address this in the Horror Noire doc.

[@cara7pd]

I know I'm late the the party but I've been binging your videos non stop. I think the parts when this was still a mystery in the first 40 minutes was when this movie was the strongest. other than that I thought it was okay but left SO MUCH to be desired. I also have to say even when I don't agree with your takes (rare but it happens haha!) I come to your channel to see YOUR opinion, anyone who gets upset when you disagree with them is dorky.

[@fruitbat999]

Definitely made lots of very good points & aside from the movie I’m glad to hear you liked that book as well, my coworker coincidentally just gave it to me the other day so I’m definitely going to read that one next!

[@icyspino]

The movie was good in my opinion. Mostly because I friggen loved the moments with the wendigo. But I can see why you dislike this film, and I respect your opinion 👍

[@docdave63]

I just finished this movie on VOD. Fantastic review. You put into words all of the things I was thinking. Keep up the great work!!