Movie Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in the Bathtub, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love from her father prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink's health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother. She ventures through the Bathtub and beyond, both in water and on land, with a ragtag group of people form her community and her father. In the end, she learns the ways of the world, and through heartbreak and triumph, learns the secrets of the aurochs and her mother. 

This film is one of the most imaginative creations to grace the screen this year. The main talking point of the film is the incredible performance of 6-year old Quvenzhane Wallis. Wallis is a powerhouse, showing so much talent and emotion that she puts veteran actors to shame. She is currently one of the frontrunners for the Best Actress Oscar, and is a lock for at least a nomination. The supporting cast also does a great job, including Dwight Henry as Hushpuppy's father, Wink. Benh Zeitlin does an amazing directing job, from using the full potential of Wallis's performance to creating the set to mimic Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. The film was very smartly written, mixing fantasy and a child's imagination with a life-changing catastrophe. Shot in actual parts of the slums in Louisiana, the film feels like a real imagining of what life would have been like during this time. When the movie first came out, it was one of the frontrunners for the Best Picture Oscar, but has since lost steam going into the nominations because of the release of some more widely-seen movies. Overall, this is one of the most original films to come along in quite sometime, led along by the masterful performance of the you Wallis. This is a movie that needs to be seen by everyone, if not just for the brave girl named Hushpuppy. 

Rating: A

Potential Oscar Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography (longshot)