‘The End of Oak Street’: A Great 80s Sci-Fi Thriller

Good afternoon, Review-Verse readers!

Today on The Cinematic Review-Verse, I’m going to be discussing The End of Oak Street. It’s a science fiction and survival film starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor.

Hathaway and McGregor are Denise and Greg Platt, a matriarch and patriarch of a family of two kids trying to deal with Denise’s aspiring novelist work and Greg working a pizza delivery job after being laid off from prior work, all in 1982 in the town of Flowervale, Michigan. The film started off with 1980s nostalgia of cul-de-aac barbecues and cassette players and Pat Benatar in the background, then comes the twist.

A wormhole brought Jurassic Park to the world early with a bunch of hungry, rampaging dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and spiked tortoises, and assorted geysers and fauna. Now the Platt’s and their neighbors must fight to survive and find a wormhole to transport them to safety.

I liked the film. Aside from throwbacks to 80s technology and lovely suburbia, I enjoyed Hathaway’s character’s empowered maternal instinct in trying to keep the family safe. In addition, I enjoyed McGregor’s character’s optimistic and equally empowered instinct. Crazy how McGregor went from space cruiser to pizzas in a Gremlin to Jurassic terror in a Mustang.

I felt the crew of Oak Street was retelling the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in a different timeline, superimposed with thriller and science fiction elements. I think it was like producer J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 mixed with the original Jurassic Park film, and I enjoyed it.

I give The End of Oak Street an 8.5/10 for blending 80s fun with science fiction wonder and peril. I wish the film gave a deeper exploration of how the wormhole came to be in the first place. Check out The End of Oak Street in theatres, rated PG-13. Thank you.

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