Beasts of the Southern Wild is a fantastical, emotionally powerful journey and a strong case of filmmaking that values imagination over money. Read critic reviews
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Beasts of the Southern Wild Photos
Movie Info
Six-year-old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) lives with her father, Wink (Dwight Henry), in a remote Delta community. Wink is a stern taskmaster, but he is preparing his young daughter for the end of the world. When Wink falls mysteriously ill, nature seems to fall ill with him. Temperatures rise, the ice caps melt and fearsome prehistoric beasts called aurochs run loose. Rising waters threaten to engulf their community, sending Hushpuppy in search of her long-lost mother.
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Rating: PG-13 (Child Imperilment|Brief Sensuality|Language|Some Disturbing Images|Thematic Material)
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Genre: Drama, Adventure, Fantasy
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Original Language: English
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Director: Benh Zeitlin
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Producer: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn
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Writer: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar
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Release Date (Theaters): limited
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $12.8M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Fox Searchlight
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Production Co: Court 13 Pictures
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for Beasts of the Southern Wild
Critic Reviews for Beasts of the Southern Wild
Audience Reviews for Beasts of the Southern Wild
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"Everything is part of the buffet of the universe." "Any day now, fabric of the universe is coming unraveled." "The whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If one piece busts, even the smallest piece, the entire universe will get busted." <i>"We are all little pieces of a big, big universe, and that makes things right."</i> North Louisiana is the wild environment engulfing the tender, little voice of an adventurous heart destined to be the King of Bathtub. No crying is allowed in a life of hostilities where strength can be found in our connection with the Universe. This is no Pantheist perspective; rather, Beasts triumphs where the adaptation of Terabithia falls shallow: family bonds, the importance of home and the appreciation of Nature being more important than imagination alone. How unfortunate that the secondary characters and the situations were not portrayed with the necessary depth, resulting in a running time shorter than required. These topics demand emotion and seriousness, not reflective suddenness. 75/100
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Something very different. A real cinematic breath of fresh air.
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Shame that I just watched it now. Both lead cast, Quvenzhane and Dwight Henry were amazing, loving the chemistry and the story is very beautiful.
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Of all the descriptions used for Beasts of the Southern Wild, the most common and true would be that of "poetry on screen". The film, from it's stylized elements including the script, acting, cinematography, and direction, feels like a poem. It has a narrative, to be sure, but an unconventional one, not concerned with story so much as message. At that same time, it stays anchored in a literal world. As such, it avoids the trap of being overly self indulgent and indie, while also being quite distinguished and uniquely realized. The acting is perhaps the most impressive thing about the film, with a powerhouse performance from the young Quvenzhane Wallis, who has an amazing screen presence and expressive posture that anchors the film throughout, with incredibly impacting scenes toward the third act. She is complimented well, though on a different, more grounded level, by the remaining cast, making for very interesting dynamics, especially with her father. The script is smart with its use of narration, sparse dialogue, and scene set up. It feels coherent but not contrived, poetic, but not lost in its own message. It is clear in what it wants to say, conveying feelings of mystery, love, and tragedy, and to excellent effect. Memorable, executed greatly, and visually stunning, it's one of 2012's more interesting films. 4/5 Stars
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