Beasts of the Southern Wild - Review

Beasts of the Southern Wild follows a young girl named Hushpuppy who lives with her ill father in the small Delta community, "The Bathtub." In the wake of a storm and her father's fading health she is forced to venture off to find her mother and learn how to make her own mark on the world.


The only reason I wound up seeing this movie is because of the early awards season buzz, to be honest. I had heard about it previously and I never really learned exactly what the movie was about so I figured I would pass on it. However, I got curious enough after seeing the nominations for the Golden Globes and SAG Awards that I wanted to give it a shot. And let me tell you... wow.

This by far is one of the best movies I have seen all year. The story was interesting in the sense that it isn't all that calculated. It is a simple story of a small community who is hit by a terrible storm and this 6-year old girl living with her ill father feels the need to quickly adapt and learn how to love and care for herself and others in preparation for when her father is no longer there to protect her. Along the way prehistoric Aurochs are unleashed when the ice caps begin to melt and water in "The Bathtub" begins to rise.
With all that said, this is a fictional and borderline fantasy movie. It has a great, heartfelt message to it and that is what I loved. You connect so quickly with Hushpuppy it's unbelievable and a lot of that has to do with the acting. Quvenzhane Wallis has an incredible career ahead of her if she wants it and I am pulling for this girl to not only be nominated for an Oscar but to take it home. She was phenomenal. The acting in general was good.
I also loved the visuals and the cinematography. You do feel like you are in the "Southern wild" and it honestly reminded me of the footage I saw when Hurricane Katrina happened. People were displaced, homes went underwater, and a lot of the people went under with them. I loved all of it.

I would strongly suggest this film to anyone. If you love movies you will love Beasts of the Southern Wild. If you have a chance to see it before the awards season exercises all these movies to death I would do that if at all possible. I rented it through iTunes and it was worth the $4. Great, great movie. I mean... I cried, guys. More than once. I want to add that this definitely is added to my list of the best films of 2012.