written by: David Robert Mitchell
produced by: J. J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Jon Cohen, David Robert Mitchell, Matt Jackson & Tommy Harper
directed by: David Robert Mitchell
rated: PG-13 (for some strong violent content, bloody images, some strong language, and suggestive material)
runtime: 99 min. 
U.S. release date: August 14, 2026

It’s been 11 years since Michigan-born writer/director David Robert Mitchell released “It Follows”, his sophomore effort that became something of a cult classic horror flick. Before we get the much-discussed, highly anticipated sequel, “They Follow”, which is scheduled to begin filming this year, there’s his latest, “The End of Oak Street”, a sci-fi thriller that turns out to be the best dinosaur flick since 1993. It’s his most ambitious endeavor yet, with an understandably larger budget, telling an intense story that relies on visual effects while revolving around a relatably fractured family of four. It’s no surprise that J.J. Abrams is involved as one of several producers, given that “The End of Oak Street” emulates the 80’s Amblin sci-fi movies that inspired Abrams when he made 2011’s “Super 8”. While Spielberg’s influence is felt throughout, Mitchell’s approach goes hard and feels more like Joe Dante’s genre work, as he doesn’t shy away from depicting real dino danger.

Set in the fictional Michigan suburb of Flowervale, circa 1982, where the Platt family lives on a pleasant street in an idyllic neighborhood. Greg (Ewan McGregor) is trying to make ends meet by delivering pizzas, while his wife, Denise (a superb Anne Hathaway), secretly works on becoming a novelist. As a couple, they try to hold it together for their kids and appearances, but the cracks in their relationship are widening. What they don’t realize is that kids pick up on these things. Older teen daughter, Audrey (Maisy Stella, so great in “My Old Ass”), is an astronomy lover and huge fan of Carl Sagan (in case there was any doubt this is set in the ’80s), while her younger brother, Brian (Christian Convery, who played young Victor in del Toro’s “Frankenstein” last year), has gotten into trouble with the local bully (played by the late Hudson Meek), and is also crushing on Jeannette Christiansen (Jordan Alexa Davis). Both siblings are sensitive to their parents’ arguing and body language, and wonder if they will soon experience what a lot of their friends have no doubt gone through…divorce.

These are common struggles for a middle-class family, and the four characters ultimately become emblematic of the decade in which they are set. While the family is understandably focused on stability, each of them has their own secrets, and it’ll take them a while to notice that the world around them has drastically changed.

The signs of change appear gradually outside the Peatt home. Denise comes across prehistoric flora growing in the backyard of Mrs. Huddleston (Anne Gee Byrd), the elderly neighbor who is reviewing her manuscript. Denise does her own detective work by going to the nearby public library and scouring books, and with help from librarian Mrs. Valcourt (Emily Kuroda, known for her work on “Gilmore Girls”), who lives in an enormous house on a hill, learns this strange plant hasn’t been around for millions of years. Not long after, the Platts’ angry neighbor, Mel (P.J. Byrne), blames them for the gigantic fecal pile he found in his backyard, the kind that Dr. Ellie Sattler would get excited over. There’s no way the Platt family dog, Starbuck (a real dog, assisted by some CGI), who often defecates in Mel’s yard, is responsible for a five-foot-high pile of dung.

One morning, after an evening of strange flashing lights outside, Greg and Denise wake up to find their neighborhood has been transported into the past, dropping them into a prehistoric environment with ravenous dinosaurs roaming Oak Street and a noticeable change in atmospheric pressure. Once they process the unbelievable reality of their situation, the family must figure out a survival plan in this new environment and possibly find a way back to their own timeline.

“The End of Oak Street” is the kind of movie where audiences know what they’re getting into and know more than the characters do about their situation. Mitchell has fun building up to the movie’s conceit, taking his time revealing the striking visuals of dinosaurs roaming the neighborhood. Abrupt bursts of violence spark comedic panic, especially when we know what’s going on before anyone in Flowervale does. We don’t know whether anyone else has figured out what the Platts have learned, and that’s because Mitchell focuses on this family, so we see what happens from their perspective.

Mitchell takes his time with mystery and revelations, with the characters fully realizing their situation around the 30-minute mark. Visual clues and subtleties are there, but only the viewer notices. A gigantic dino tail is seen slinking around a house, trees rustling loudly, and dino scales that can be seen moving past a home’s roof as a dino lumbers through backyards. Initially, these dinos are only seen by us, briefly showing up in the background of the characters we’re following – again, we know what’s happening before they do, and there’s exhilarating fun in that. Mitchell definitely keeps some comedic moments intact, but not at the expense of convincingly intense peril at every turn.

Mitchell and cinematographer Michael Giolakis take their time establishing the setting and emphasizing character placement, like when they use split diopter. Typically used to show contrast, build suspense, and connect two subjects in a single frame without changing the camera angle, it can also create unease. All of that lands here with mostly successful effect, though the technique is sometimes overused. Nevertheless, it definitely draws our attention and is cool to see on the big screen.

“The End of Oak Street” has its subversive moments that offer some humor and emotional potency. One involves Stella’s Audrey, who finds solace by sneaking out of her boarded-up house, escaping into the family car to play a cassette of Steve Winwood’s “Valerie”. The movie’s most memorable and shocking action sequence comes when Hathaway and McGregor try to survive an Allosaurus encounter. Neither of these scenes plays out how you’d expect them to, and the latter is a real gut-punching jaw-dropper.

As far as the dinosaurs are concerned, we don’t get the typical predatory raptors or T. Rex attacks here. The film clearly tries to give viewers species we may not often see in cinema. Flying pterosaurs and tropeognathus pick at humans (alive and dead), and frightening encounters with roaming erythrosuchidae and a slithering giant snake called Titanoboa (the latter of which definitely lives up to its name). None of the dinosaurs are named in the movie, but it’s fascinating nonetheless to identify which ones Mitchell uses for just the right unsettling situation. There’s a concerted effort to show dinosaurs in a different light, not just in striking daylight, which is impressive, but also showing very different dino behavior than we’ve seen before. You’ll know it when you see it.

The end of the movie will certainly spark interesting conversations, primarily about what happens to those who survive and the repercussions of their actions. The sci-fi aspect of the film is there, offering a brief scientific explanation of wormhole theories, but the specificities and machinations aren’t explained, nor do they need to be.

“The End of Oak Street” finds its strength in unpredictability and delivers in unusual, albeit engaging, ways. Its focus on characterization is appreciated, keeping viewers wholly invested in the horrifying stakes the characters are navigating.

For the life of me, I can’t understand why more people aren’t seeing this and talking about it. It’s not a Nolan or Spider-Man flick, and it’s not based on a novel anyone’s heard of. Maybe those are the sad reasons. What it is is a great late summer action movie that should be experienced on the big screen.

RATING: ***1/2