In Jurassic Park, it was the dinosaurs brought into a current day world filled with humans.  For The End of Oak Street, we have the flip side of that scenario.  A few hundred humans have been transported back in time, I’d guess roughly 200 million years ago, and they find themselves part of an ancient world dominated by dinosaurs.

The film doesn’t want to get hung up on specifics and so we quickly learn this is the result of a bright, round portal which fluctuates in size.  It has engulfed the footprint of an entire neighbourhood – the people, homes, streets and pets – and plopped it among a forest filled with dinosaurs.  A few of the creatures look harmless but for the most part, they’re large, they’re carnivorous, and they’re hungry.

Writer-director David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) portrays events from the perspective of a single family.  Greg (McGregor) and Denise (Hathaway) are a long-married couple, but their relationship is showing signs of strain based on regular disagreements.  This is evident to the audience… and it’s evident to their two children, Audrey (Stella) and Brian (Convery), who are worried about the family splitting up.  All of this becomes a moot point the dinosaurs rock up in the middle act and survival is more important than civility.

I enjoyed the early build up, and I think the cast are very good.  The banter feels authentic (e.g. characters talking over each other) and the two child actors, Maisy Stella (My Old Ass) and Christian Convery (The Monkey), hold the stage well alongside the experienced Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) and Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge!).  I believed them as a family.

Unfortunately, succumbs to a pet hate of mind – characters making overtly dumb decisions to prolong the narrative.  I realise Brian is just a teenager but is he silly enough to run around the neighbourhood in the middle of the night while surrounded by killer dinosaurs… to save his dog?  Could Mitchell not come up with a more original/plausible reason for Brian to leave the house?  Also, should folks really be having long, meaningful conversations while standing out in the open?

The way the film quickly jumps between misadventures (some of them ending quite abruptly) also makes me wonder if parts weren’t working and ended up on the cutting room floor.  The short 99-minute run time adds to my suspicions.  Overall, I’m still a fan though.  The End of Oak Street doesn’t get everything right, but I enjoyed the concept, setting, and unexpected splashes of dark comedy.