There’s something captivating about dinosaurs onscreen, isn’t there? The only way we can see these apex predators move and breathe again is through special effects. When those effects are good, an only-in-the-movies magic can happen. A strong story can also help. The End of Oak Street has those things, as well as a talented cast of actors who make it all work even better.
In the early 1980s, on a regular Oak Street in a regular small town, Greg and Denise Platt (Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway) and their two kids, Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery), face normal problems. Then a huge abnormal problem upends their existence when cosmic anomalies transport their entire neighborhood into the past. Millions of years into the past. That’s right, time travel in this story comes with dinosaurs! The Platt family fights for survival against a variety of the prehistoric beasts and we root for them every step of the way.
The End of Oak Street provides throwback summer thrills. The kind that feel unique in theaters right now. The performances and direction emphasize the story’s heart, which means the action is even more effective. Though no new ground is broken here, The End of Oak Street is smashingly entertaining.
MORE: If you want more of Anne Hathaway’s domination of summer 2026, read our review of The Odyssey.
“You’re a lucky man.”
I want to start with the premise. With a high-concept plot like this, the explanation behind what happens is important. Audrey is a precocious teen who has read Carl Sagan. When she suggests that wormholes are responsible for this unprecedented event, the story runs with that. I doubt that the representation of wormholes here is very scientifically accurate. (They look like blue, glowing bubbles that pop in and out.) And I also doubt that humans could just jump through them. However, the script is consistent about them, and they’re a useful visual that works.
But let’s be real. A workable explanation is great, but we all just want to see people fighting dinosaurs! Well, the exciting action sequences here deliver plenty of that. And it’s more than just the Platt family. Their neighbors aren’t safe either. There’s a lot of dinosaur-on-human violence to go around. Something that is scientifically accurate in this film is the way most of the dinosaurs have feathers. They are NOT less frightening because of it. Far from it.
As a matter of fact, The End of Oak Street features the scariest creature sequence in years. It involves a giant prehistoric snake. (And I mean GIANT.) I don’t want to spoil too much, but it is terrifying. Director David Robert Mitchell puts his experience helming the excellent horror movie It Follows to good use throughout this film, but particularly with this scene. It perfectly demonstrates how anticipation can be a significant part of the scare. The CGI is quite well done, too. Plus, it ends with Hathaway’s character giving another example of how to be a badass, which she’d been doing for the entire movie.
MORE: Want more dinosaur movies? Read our review of Jurassic World: Rebirth!
“I wanna be where you are.”
Let’s talk more about Anne Hathaway in this film. Denise is a fantastic character and Hathaway plays her as effortlessly as always. Denise is a true mother, in all senses of the word. You never doubt for a second that she will do whatever it takes to protect her children. The fight in her is fierce, strong, and unrelenting, and I wouldn’t want to be any person or dinosaur who gets on her bad side. Besides that, this role requires more emotional extremes than you might expect. She pulls off all of it. The summer of 2026 is truly Anne Hathaway’s summer.
One of the ways this script feels reminiscent of a lot of ‘80s summer classics is Greg and Denise’s rocky marriage. This element pops up in many of those films. Hathaway and McGregor do a good job of creating a chemistry that feels lived between their characters, which makes this material successful. Again, I can’t spoil such a big moment, but a surprise plot turn in the third act elevates this relationship above what you usually find in this genre. This contributes to how much the audience invests in this family, which is essential for a film like this.
In addition to all this, I need to discuss the ending. It is a bit too neat and easy. Yet again without spoilers, what happens is very convenient, especially compared to all the peril and violence leading up to it. I still find it quite satisfying, though. We want happy endings most of the time, and survival thrillers like this usually earn them. This one does. I also appreciated a couple of campy details here that put the right finishing touch on this film, like a little girl humming the theme song from The Flintstones. The End of Oak Street is a cinematic experience you should treat yourself to this summer.
4 stars out of 5
The End of Oak Street is now playing in theaters from Warner Bros.
