The End of Oak Street: A Dinosaur Story for a New Generation

Directed by: David Robert Mitchell

Written by: David Robert Mitchell

Produced by: David Robert Mitchell, J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Matt Jackson, Jon Cohen, Tommy Harper 

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, Christian Convery, Jordan Alexa Davis

Run Time: 1 hour 39 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: Friday, August 14, only in theaters and IMAX

Dinosaurs are my jam. I love a good dinosaur-themed experience. The source? The series Dinosaurs and the feature film Jurassic Park (my all-time favorite movie). From the age of 5, you couldn’t tell me dinosaurs didn’t exist and could maybe one day exist again. From scientists in the 90s who “were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should” to today’s unexplained scientific phenomenon, The End of Oak Street demands your attention as the new dinosaur film to fall in love with.

The End of Oak Street is brought to us by the new power duo, director David Robert Mitchell (It Follows, Under The Silver Lake) and producer J.J. Abrams (Westworld, Lovecraft Country). I got to interview these two, and the respect they have for each other’s work is apparent. The collab works so well because both are no strangers to the “what if” premise, or flawed characters in the right, or even out-of-this-world situations. Abrams thinks The End of Oak Street could be an episode of The Twilight Zone. Which is true, but I think it’s even more suited for an episode of Fringe, one of Abrams’ hit shows. This is another reason their collab works so well.

Set in the early 80s, The End of Oak Street follows the Platt family as they navigate the pressures of family, teenage squabbles, and everyday life. One night, they experience an epic storm that turns out to be a mind-boggling, mysterious cosmic event. The Platt family and the rest of the Oak Street residents are transported to an unrecognizable time and place. Family troubles are the last thing on their mind as they try to survive dinosaurs in their own backyard. The film stars Anne Hathaway (Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada), Ewan McGregor (Star Wars franchise, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), Maisy Stella (My Old Ass, Nashville), Christian Convery (Frankenstein, The Monkey), and Jordan Alexa Davis (Vampirina, Defending Jacob).

When it comes to the cast, Anne Hathaway as Denise Platt is a standout. She has been booked and busy this year, and slander will not be tolerated. When it comes to the dramatic moments in The End of Oak Street, Hathaway is carrying the cast. When things got real, meaning dinosaurs came into the mix, she took command of the suspense, danger, and fear. The audience could feel it with her. She is one of the characters you really want to make it to the end. She holds it down as the mom in the film, even when her family makes dumb decisions.

Another character to highlight is Jordan Alexa Davis, who plays neighbor Jeannette Christiansen. When we meet Jeannette, she is running from a dinosaur. We know nothing about her except that she is alone and her family is gone. But what we quickly learn is that her Black instincts are intact. When the Platt siblings come to help her, she keeps running until she realizes she is safe. She then decides to stay with the main group because why split up if it’s not necessary? We then see her stay clear of immediate danger. She’s skipping the noble sacrifices. She’s not distracting, so others can run. When she has a chance to be safe, she takes it. She doesn’t wait for the team meeting to end. I absolutely loved her character, even though we know very little about her. 

You can tell fans of dinosaurs when a dinosaur film is made. The dinosaurs remain part of the plot even if we are rooting for people to survive. A lot of the negativity surrounding the Jurassic World trilogy stems from the feeling that the films shifted away from their core survival-horror and dinosaur focus. The End of Oak Street revives that focus and nostalgia.

For my dino nerds, The End of Oak Street intentionally features species from different prehistoric eras, rather than striving for strict chronological accuracy. But what is amazing about these creatures is the accuracy of their look from dinosaurs that actually have feathers to scars, chipped teeth, worn scales, and battle damage, suggesting an authentic, lived-in, prehistoric world. The visual effects team, ILM, brought the animals to life using CGI—digital art, special effects, 3D animation, and practical effects, which really helped the actors, who performed much of the on-screen action.

The End of Oak Street is just a fun movie. I loved being in a theater and watching it. Any chance to see dinosaurs in IMAX, I am taking it. It always brings an epic level of enjoyment, and this film does just that.