In "The End of Oak Street," a tranquil 1982 suburban neighborhood is invaded by prehistoric creatures in director David Robert Mitchell's science-fiction thriller. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor play Denise and Greg Platt, parents who must protect their teenage children, Audrey and Brian, when dinosaurs begin appearing in their cul-de-sac neighborhood of Flowervale.
The creatures range from fast-moving bird-raptors to stegosauruses wandering through forests that have become primeval in nature, culminating with a Tyrannosaurus rex. The family and a teenage neighbor attempt to survive using minimal weaponry, including shotguns and a bow and arrow, mostly by running, shooting, and hiding from the attacks. The film unfolds against period details including 1982 songs, brick homes, and vehicles from that era.
The dinosaur incursion results from the family being trapped in a two-mile-wide circle of suburbia that exists within a prehistoric world after passing through a time-warp wormhole. The setting and visual style draw inspiration from Spielberg films of the late 1970s and early 1980s, with creatures staged in attack sequences designed to create both scares and entertainment value.
Mitchell, who previously directed "It Follows" and "Under the Silver Lake," also wrote the screenplay for the film, which features producer J.J. Abrams.
