Teeming with magic, beauty and pure joy, this crowd-pleasing winner at the Sundance Film Festival has emerged as one of the year's most acclaimed films. Newcomer Quvenzhane Wallis delivers an "Oscar-worthy performance" (Philadelphia Daily News) as Hushpuppy, the six-year-old force of nature in an isolated bayou community.
When her tough but loving father Wink (Dwight Henry) succumbs to a mysterious malady, the fierce and determined girl bravely sets out on a journey to the outside world. But Hushpuppy's quest is hindered by a "busted" universe that melts the ice caps and unleashes an army of prehistoric beasts.
Beasts of the Southern Wild tells its story entirely from the 6-year-old girl's perspective; the actions and emotions of adults take on a mythic scope, as does the damaged environment in which she lives. The movie is dense and rich, often as obscure and murky as the overgrown bayou itself, sometimes off-putting and enticing at the same time. Wallis, her performance brimming with feral energy and a wounded soul, carries the movie with more star power than most adults could muster. The dialogue is thick with intriguing metaphors and the images resist being easily interpreted into a conventional plot, but the story gradually emerges, rising to a potent end. Viewers who take the time to sink into its mysteries will be rewarded. --Bret Fetzer
Media Type | Movie |
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Recommended Age | 13 and up |
Actors | Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry, Lowell Landes |
Running Time | 94 minutes |
Studio | 20th Century Fox |
Release Date | Dec 4, 2012 |
Language | English |