The End of Oak Street Spoiler-free Review

by Garth and Cineman

CINEMAN

David Robert Mitchell’s The End of Oak Street stars Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Christian Convery and Maisy Stella in a wild, genre-hopping adventure that draws heavily from the films of Steven Spielberg  (Think Jurassic Park and Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and other weird and whacky films from that era. Written and directed by Mitchell, the film wears its 80s and 90s influences proudly, while still trying to carve out an identity of its own.

And that is both the film’s biggest strength and its biggest weakness.

The End of Oak Street takes you on a wild ride and feels like a rollercoaster, There are moments where you are completely strapped in, enjoying every twist and turn, before the film suddenly changes direction and you find yourself wondering if you actually want to stay on. The uneven tonal shifts can be jarring, particularly when the film jumps between adventure, comedy, horror and family drama. Your mileage may vary.

Mitchell also can’t quite escape his penchant for horror and strange narratives. Anyone familiar with It Follows or Under the Silver Lake will recognise a clear style here. Depending on your tolerance for weirdness, that will either be a major selling point or something that leaves you scratching your head.

What you can expect, though, is a seriously entertaining adventure that makes for a great time at the movies. The audience I watched it with was completely engaged, laughing, gasping and cringing depending on what was happening on screen. Whether it was a funny moment, an exciting action sequence, a horrifying death or an awkward character interaction, the film consistently got a reaction.

I have to take my hat off to Mitchell for taking such a big swing on an original idea. Most directors in his position, with a strong indie film under their belt and access to Hollywood, might be tempted to jump onto the next major superhero film or established franchise. Instead, he bet on himself and an entirely original concept. Thankfully, producer J.J. Abrams backed him too, because that gamble has given us something genuinely fascinating. Whether it will succeed or not, we’ll see.

The film follows the entire family, slipping into different points of view when the story requires it. Yet this never feels particularly distracting because everything stays anchored to the family unit. Stylistically, the film shifts genres several times, but maintains a strong visual vision throughout. The set pieces and action are confidently staged, while even the quieter conversations get some interesting touches, including a few cool split diopter shots that had me geeking out.

The End of Oak Street is ultimately a bit of a mixed bag, but I have to commend the sheer audacity of it. It is a hell of a big swing, and I’m here for it.

Cineman’s Rating: 7/10

GARTH

Where to start? Like the leftovers in a fridge thrown into a blender, The End of Oak Street (EOAS) seemingly takes whatever it can find and Frankenstein’s it together in a way that’s very hard to describe.

By no means tasteless, it comes off as a major sum of its parts. There’s a blend of sci fi, adventure, family drama, thriller, and there’s still some space for four minutes of romance.

You’d think that this monster wouldn’t work, but like a tribute to the 80s playground where superhero movies weren’t around every corner and original films were celebrated, David Robert Mitchell takes whatever trope he could find and somehow, it works.

Not necessarily great, but then again, if you have a scene with two dinosaurs doing the deed and it doesn’t derail anything, you’re going to have a good time.

And that’s probably the best way to describe EOAS: it’s a good time.

It doesn’t always know what it wants to be, and honestly, I don’t think it particularly cares. One minute you’re watching a family drama, the next you’re dealing with cosmic sci fi, then suddenly you’re watching people try to survive prehistoric predators. Somehow, Mitchell manages to stitch these wildly different pieces together without the whole thing collapsing under its own weight.

Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor look like they’re having an absolute blast. There’s a genuine sense that both actors understood exactly what kind of ridiculous, weird and wonderfully bonkers movie they were making and decided to lean into it. That energy comes through in their performances, and their chemistry makes the more absurd moments even more enjoyable. They’re not trying to convince you that everything happening is completely normal. They’re having fun with it, and thankfully, that makes it easier for the audience to have fun too.

The family drama gives all the madness something human to revolve around, and when the film slows down, those quieter moments actually work. The problem is that some of the characters and story beats feel like they’re fighting for space in a movie that’s already got about five different movies crammed into it.

The dinosaur sequences are where the film really kicks into gear. The chase scenes are tense, chaotic and genuinely entertaining, with Mitchell knowing when to let the dinosaurs loose and when to hold back. There’s a real sense of danger in these moments, and watching the characters scramble to survive some very pissed off prehistoric predators adds a proper thriller element to the madness and Mitchell clearly isn’t interested in making another polished, interchangeable blockbuster. It feels deliberately weird. It feels like someone was given a Hollywood budget and told, “You know what? Just fucking go for it

And I respect the hell out of that.

Is it messy? Absolutely.

Is it occasionally ridiculous? Without question.

Does every idea land? Not even remotely.

But that’s also part of its charm. In an era where so many big budget films feel like they’re terrified of taking a wrong step, The End of Oak Street feels refreshingly willing to throw shit at the wall and see what sticks.

And surprisingly, quite a lot of it sticks.

It’s not going to reinvent sci fi, and I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece. But it’s original, ambitious, strange as hell, and most importantly, fun.

Sometimes that’s enough. A bizarre Frankenstein’s monster of a movie that absolutely should not work, but somehow does.

Garth’s Rating: 6/10

The End of Oak Street is in cinemas now, starting Friday 14 August 2026. Check out the trailer below.

Overall Team Rating: 6.5/10

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