Antlers will be released by Searchlight Pictures on Digital on December 21st 2021 and on Blu-ray + Digital and DVD on January 4th 2022.
Bonus Features for the home video release include:
The Evil Within – Co-writer/director Scott Cooper gives us a glimpse of the many complex layers at play in his approach to making Antlers, a horror film about very human concerns, and his most ambitious film to date.
An Exploration of Modern Horror with Guillermo del Toro – Producer Guillermo del Toro traces the lineage of elevated horror in cinema. Employing his encyclopedic knowledge and passion for the horror genre, he discusses the connection between mythology and human behaviour.
Artifacts and Totems – The filmmakers discuss how they created this world of a small, tight-knit Northwest community of working-class Americans in bringing Scott Cooper’s vision to life.
Gods Walk Among Us – An in-depth exploration of the digital and practical effects used to create the film’s primal creatures.
Cry of the Wendigo – Discover the fascinating folklore behind the wendigo from the film’s First Nations consultants. Learn about the creature’s mythic origins and about its connection to man’s betrayal of the land.
Metamorphosis – At the heart of Antlers is a transformative performance by Scott Haze. Hear about the actor’s preparation for filming, including how he lost some 70 pounds in order to play a deeply tragic character.
Comic-Con @ Home with Scott Cooper and Guillermo del Toro – Steve Weintraub moderates this candid Comic-Con@Home 2020 Panel interview with Guillermo del Toro and Scott Cooper. Hear the filmmakers describe their process, and learn who some of their filmmaking heroes are.
‘Pray it desires not you’
Antlers is a 2021-released American mystery horror film about a school teacher who becomes embroiled in the life of a deeply troubled boy.
Directed by Scott Cooper (Black Mass) from a screenplay written by co-executive producer Nick Antosca (Channel Zero series) and C. Henry Chaisson, based on Antosca’s short story The Quiet Boy. J. Miles Dale, Guillermo del Toro and David S. Goyer (The Forest; Blade II; The Unborn) are co-producers.
The movie stars Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas and Graham Greene.
Plot:
A small-town Oregon teacher (Keri Russell) and her brother (Jesse Plemons), the local sheriff, become entwined with a young student (Jeremy T. Thomas) harbouring a dangerous secret with frightening consequences…
Reviews:
“It’s not often that a film will linger around in my mind as prominently and for as long as Antlers has, but that speaks to the power of this story and the performances driving this film. To me, Cooper has confidently crafted one of the best emotionally driven genre efforts to be released in some time with Antlers, and his first foray into horror is a genuine cinematic knockout that will undoubtedly stay with you long after its credits roll.” Daily Dead
” …the film most strongly registers in conveying the dispossessed and sidelined members of society as being at a virtual loss to cope with their problems, both material and psychological. When two of the most important aspects of a society — education and physical security — essentially are absent from citizens’ lives, what do you have? Not much, and that’s the scariest part of Antlers.” Deadline
“Thoroughly successful both as icky art house horror and as an allegory of generational trauma, Scott Cooper’s Antlers continues the director’s hot streak while bearing the unmistakable mark of one of its producers, Guillermo del Toro […] Child actor Jeremy T. Thomas impresses in his first lead performance, a haunted turn embodying the picture’s deepest conflicts about family, duty and self-preservation.” The Hollywood Reporter
“The few jump scares featured actually startled me—furthermore, the entire shed sequence is masterful […] This movie goes to some dark and horrifying extremes sure to alienate those seeking traditional happy endings. For this viewer, the bleakness only further sells this violent, memorable creature feature.” Josh at the Movies
“Loyal to the source material, Antlers expands the tale by delving into the impact of the rampant drug crisis, telling the story of those often forgotten and overlooked. Whilst there is plenty for genre fans to appreciate, the film’s layers hit hard – opening the feature to wider audiences.” Love Horror
“Adult returns home after an abusive childhood; takes care of a child with similar, though otherworldly parental issues; learns to overcome monsters both literal and metaphorical. It’s possibly the most common storyline of horror in the 2010s. That said, there’s enough of interest, especially (and most importantly) in the story’s horror scenes that Antlers ends up a mostly satisfying, gloomy movie…” Nerdist
“The most effective horror movies aren’t merely about frightening the audience — although this one has a few genuinely freaky scares — but exploring the deeper social issues that unnerve us. In this case, we’re confronted with a small American town on the decline, where employment opportunities are scarce, opioids are plentiful and relations with local Native Americans are overdue for a reckoning.” Variety
Release:
Antlers will be released by Fox Searchlight Pictures on October 29, 2021. In the USA, it has been rated ‘R’ by the MPAA for “violence including gruesome images, and for language.”
Cast and characters:
Keri Russell … Julia Meadows
Jesse Plemons … Paul Meadows
Jeremy T. Thomas … Lucas Weaver
Graham Greene … Warren Stokes
Scott Haze … Frank Weaver
Rory Cochrane … Dan Lecroy
Amy Madigan … Principal Booth
Cody Davis … Clint
Sawyer Jones … Aiden Weaver
Arlo Hajdu … Jake
Glynis Davies … Nurse Byrd
Dorian Kingi … Antlered Man
Emily Delahunty … Evie
Andy Thompson
Jesse Downs … Harrison
Katelyn Peterson … Young Julia Meadows
Filming locations:
Hope, British Columbia, Canada
Trailer:
Clip 1:
Clip 2:
Clip 3 ‘The three bears’:
“Creating the town” featurette:
“Creating the wendigo” featurette:
