The horror film of director Scott Cooper ‘Antlers’ tells the story of a middle school teacher who suspects that one of his students is hiding a dark and scary secret. When a student ends up making a serious threat in their small town of Oregon, the teacher meets with his brother to deal with the consequences.
The fascinating legend incorporates the rich flavor of Native Americans and speaks of the various themes that reflect society and the times of turmoil in which we live. Therefore, viewers should ask themselves if the story is inspired by real events. We became curious about the same subject and decided to look for answers.
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Is Antlers a Real Story?
No, ‘Antlers’ is not based on a real story. It is based on a short story entitled ‘The Quiet Boy’ written by Nick Antosca, who also starred in the screenplay. The short story was first published in ‘Guernica’ magazine in 2019, and the director Guillermo del Toro went to director Scott Cooper to do the same for the film. At first glance, the film ‘Antlers’ is a supernatural horror film, and one might wonder if it is true in a fairy tale. However, like in Cooper’s previous films, he tries to deal with real-world problems while playing traditional horror genres.
Speaking to Comic-Con in 2020, Cooper described the concept behind the film in detail. He said the film is very focused on what it means to be human in America today. Cooper also noted that the film’s narrative addresses the various problems Americans are currently facing, such as climate change, drug addiction, Native American abuse, and extreme poverty.
“Antlers.” In a separate interview, Cooper discussed how the film dispels horrible ideas. He explained that different things can bother people, and the same is expressed by the characters in the film. He added that while the horror of traditional creatures is a factor, the film explores tragic events and how they can affect a person.
The story involves a mythical creature known as Wendigo. The supernatural is derived from a popular myth among the First Nations. It is said that a violent wind sometimes takes on the form of a humanoid. Wendigo has human beings and expresses their desires for the deity.
Cooper revealed that he has worked with experts to learn more about Wendigo in legends. The director described Wendigo’s film described as a spirit of empty spaces. To some extent, the air serves as a metaphor for the problems that the inhabitants of a mythical city do not want to face. The two main issues facing filmmakers are the destruction of natural resources and the abuse of the family. All things said, ‘Antlers’ include fictional stories in real-world stories.
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