The End of Oak Street ( 2026 | US | 100 minutes | David Robert Mitchell)
Imagine, if you will, if Jurassic Park, Land of the Lost, War of the Worlds (a la Tom Cruise), and a wholesome 80’s movie had a baby… you’d be close to getting the vibe of The End of Oak Street. We’re introduced to the Platt family at a block party they’re hosting, and within minutes we’re getting the tea on their family dynamics and pain points. Lets just say communication isn’t their strong suit. The next evening, a blinding flash of light takes them on a journey into a nightmare no one is ready to cope with and a grim chance of long-term survival.
To say this film gave a nod to tropes from the 80’s and 90’s is putting it lightly. At least the first third of the film felt like they were recreating specific scenes straight out of a John Hughes, Stephen Spielberg, or Robert Zemeckis joint. They may not have been an exact replica, but it sure felt like it; I was on the verge of cringe overload. It was just grounded enough to wonder if they meant it seriously or if it was a free-for-all goof of that era of family-friendly-turned-horror films. I’ll be real, I still don’t know for sure. With this cast of Anne Hathaway (Mom) , Ewan McGregor (Dad), Emily Koroda (friendly know-it-all librarian) and P.J. Byrne (annoying pissed-off neighbor) I figured it would be a cheeky version of Jurassic Park flipped on its head. It was more like the tension and fear of War of the Worlds, teenage drama of Sixteen Candles and occasional cheek of OG Jurassic Park. I keep comparing it to other stories because of the constant barrage of homage but it didn’t actually hit the mark with any of them. At least not until the final turn.
I can never tell if I’m just a contrarian or I’ve become more crotchety in my old age, but pop films like these don’t speak to me like they do the general populace. Maybe I’m harsher on a film that seems to be popular just because word of it spreads like wildfire through social networks regardless of whether folks think it’s good or not. It’s the hype that brings them to the theater. Either way, I was holding my judgement, but then I was genuinely taken by surprise. Every few years, there’s a film that does something unique, but then there are at least a dozen, if not many more, that follow suit with the same concept. I don’t know if that’s the case with Oak Street, but that turn two-thirds into the movie is what got me. Everything after that was fun, exciting, thought-provoking and even easter-egg hiding. That’s when the film really started for me. Is that enough for me to say that I loved it? It just might be. I don’t know if it’ll live up to the hype for you, but I am glad I made it to the theater for this one. Well done, you got me.
The End of Oak Street in theaters on 8/14