Humans used to be few, and their influence on the environment appeared to be minimal. But as we grew, we uncheckedly exploited nature. We continue to believe that there are no consequences to our activities and that climate change is a myth. One of our biggest misconceptions might be this one. Because of this, art and artists have a duty to consider how people behave and make changes before it’s too late. Antlers, a movie directed by Scott Cooper and created by Guillermo del Toro, thematizes exploitation of two gifts we have: nature and our children. It comes after their retribution and introduces otherworldly elements to the picture to foreshadow the tragedy that is just around the corner.
The adult deer’s branching horns are known as antlers. It is a mythological story about a creature from folklore who shows up on Earth to give people a crucial lesson. The Quiet Boy, a short tale by Nick Antosca, serves as the inspiration for the movie. The story illustrates the atrocities of human cruelty on children and the environment through its two main characters, a teacher and a student. Let’s delve deeper into the narrative.
Antlers Plot Summary
An opening super alerts the audience to the damage done to mother nature and the awakening of the evil spirit as a result. It also attacks the lost, weak, or corrupt, as do all dark spirits. A prologue suddenly reveals two evil characters named Frank Weaver and Kenny Glass, who operate a meth factory underground in the abandoned Greymouth Mine in isolated Cispus Falls, Oregon. Frank and his colleague are surprised by strange noises emanating from the abandoned mine when Frank leaves his small son, Aiden, near the truck and enters the mine to meet them. When the two pursue the sounds, a shadowy mythological beast attacks them. Before his fate could be determined, the screen went completely black as Aiden entered the mine.
After her father’s passing three weeks later, Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) relocates back to her hometown and begins living with her brother Paul, who serves as the local sheriff. When Julia starts working as a teacher, she meets Lucas, a disturbed child (Jeremy T. Thomas). Julia’s own childhood traumas traumatise her emotional sanity while she tries to assist Lucas.
Lucas murders helpless animals while out for a stroll in the outdoors. At home, Lucas is terrorised by a booming voice that emerges from behind a closed door and alludes to the continued parental abuse he is experiencing. After Lucas and his bully Clint fight, Julia gets involved in his student’s life and learns about Lucas’s late mother, Sandra. Living with their father Frank, who distributes meth to support them, Lucas and his younger brother Aiden are raised.
Human bodies that have been ruthlessly eaten begin to emerge in the room as Lucas’s dark existence begins to come to light. Sheriff Paul believes that a killer is on the loose, but the locals think that a mythical being known as the Wendigo is responsible.
What Happened in Julia Meadows Childhood?
After 20 years, Julia Meadows moved back to Cispus Falls and set up residence in her family’s home, where she cohabitated with her brother Paul. It became clear during the talk that Julia only returned following the passing of their father.
Paul and Julia’s mother passed away while they were little. Julia’s alcoholic father started taking advantage of her after she passed away. It is revealed in one scene that Julia used to hide under the kitchen floor to keep her safe from her father’s immoral behaviour. She fled to California as soon as she was old enough to live independently of her father. But the ordeal didn’t go away, leaving her with a mental scar. She started drinking alcohol. She did her best to avoid drinking and stay clean when she got back to Cispus Falls.
Julia focused her energies on rescuing Lucas, whom she believed had also experienced parental abuse. She connected with Lucas since, like her, Lucas was living with his father and younger brother and had lost his mother when he was a small child.
What Was Lucas Hiding?
In the first scene of Antlers, the evil Algonquian ghost known as Wendigo overcame Frank Weaver and his youngest son, Aiden. Frank’s ravenous appetite was sparked by the demonic spirit, and as a result, he feasted on Kenny Glass, his own companion.
Frank and Aiden went back to their house as soon as the evil spirit changed them. Maybe he anticipated the horrors to come and gave his sons the command to lock him up. As soon as Aiden started to exhibit dread, Frank took him into his closed room, where they stayed hidden from view.
Lucas didn’t want to lose her father after losing her mother. Because of the pain of losing his parents, he thought that his new father, who was evil-possessed, would love him if he fed him. As a result, Lucas began picking up roadkill and hunting small animals in the woods to feed the monsters he had hidden inside his home.
Who Was The Evil Creature in Antlers? What Did It Symbolize?
Nature is full with mysteries. However, as we continue to drill down into the Earth to use its natural riches, we awaken spirits who have lain dormant for aeons. Julia talked about the value of narrative in her first class. She claims it is a means through which we transmit our traditions and beliefs from one generation to the next. But if we don’t take something away from their folklore, as in the movie, we’re just asking for trouble.
Algonquian folklore holds that the Wendigo, represented by its antlers, represents human avarice. It entered folklore as a symbol for warning future generations against their insatiable hunger and want. A news report announcing the relaxation of environmental laws and the resurgence of the coal sector appears in the movie. The Greymouth Mine was reopened in accordance with the new laws to put an end to the energy war.
The former sheriff and local resident Warren Stokes informed Paul and Julia about the Wendigo. The devilish cruelty that ravaged humanity was to blame. According to a well-known myth, an evil spirit was created when a hunter used cannibalism to stay alive during a harsh winter. The natives held that dining simply made the spirit hungrier because they were condemned with endless famine. It was comparable to a greedy person chopping down trees one by one until he had ruined the entire forest in order to satisfy his insatiable desire for money.
Warren explained to Paul and Julia that ancient spirits never pass away and that the mine’s opening had probably only fueled their rage. Frank’s spirit yearned to go back to the mines, but not by himself. He brought Lucas and Aiden along, which set up the scene for the climax.
Antlers Ending, Explained Did Paul Get Infected?
Not only had the Wendigo’s spirit taken over Frank’s body, but it had also infected Aiden and Lucas, his sons. Perhaps that is why a demonically inspired Frank never assaulted his sons. Instead, Clint Owens, Lucas’ bully, was assaulted by the spirit and killed in the woods. Because Lucas fed the spirit with animals, it was largely kept under control. But as soon as Ellen Booth, the principal of Lucas, was consumed, the spirit’s power changed into its most dangerous state.
Lucas and Aiden were kidnapped by the Wendigo and taken to the Greymouth Mine. Julia, who was brave, and Paul, who was hurt, followed them. Julia made the choice to stand up to the evil spirit and do whatever it took to save Lucas and Aiden.
Julia already knew that eating makes the monster weaker and hungrier, according to Warren Stokes. And the only way to destroy it when it was weak was to go after its blazing heart. While the creature was feasting on Kenny Glass’ body, Julia bravely faced it and attacked it.
Julia killed Antlers by ripping out its heart at the conclusion. However, a new catastrophe awaited. She discovered that Aiden was also possessed, so she also stabbed Aiden in the heart to put an end to the horrors. Lucas lost both his father and brother, which marked the start of a lifetime of trauma.
Following the event, Julia made the choice to adopt Lucas. But in the climactic scene, Paul expressed his worry and noted that Lucas had already been possessed by the Wendigo’s spirit. He might soon mutate into a monster. Julia, however, made the decision to deny the reality and cleansed Lucas’s face of the bile. She couldn’t kill something she loved, according to Julia. Ironically, Paul suddenly became ill and spat forth black bile, just like Frank. Paul was attacked in the shed as he attempted to keep Julia and Lucas safe. Julia will therefore eventually need to make a difficult choice. To protect humanity from the Wendigo’s essence, she will be compelled to murder both Lucas and Paul.
Scott Cooper’s Antlers is a 2021 drama-horror movie. It takes inspiration from a short story by Nick Antosca.
