Anne Hathaway is having an undeniably spectacular year.
Following a monumental run in recent and highly anticipated projects—ranging from the legacy sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 to the A24 art-house film Mother Mary and Christopher Nolan's epic The Odyssey—the versatile actress is now dabbling in the realm of science fiction with The End of Oak Street, currently showing in cinemas nationwide.
Set against the nostalgic backdrop of the 1980s, Anne plays Denise Platt, a housewife wrestling with the suffocating weight of a marriage in crisis.
Her husband Greg, a pizza delivery man harboring secrets of his own, adds to the quiet tension of their suburban existence.
Alongside their two children and the family dog, Denise appears to be living a mundane life, but secretly, she is penning a novel that details her deep-seated desire to leave it all behind.
Denise’s domestic problems take a wild turn one fateful night when her entire neighborhood mysteriously gets transported back to the prehistoric era. Can Denise set aside her frustrations to help her family avoid hungry dinosaurs?
The End of Oak Street gives Anne ample opportunity to flex her formidable acting skills, delivering deeply emotional scenes with raw vulnerability. Her ultimate confrontation scene with her husband, played by Ewan McGregor, is truly heartbreaking.
Yet this profound level of domestic drama occasionally feels out of place in what could easily have been a straightforward, purely fun cinematic romp. The rapid shift from devastating marital breakdowns in one scene to fleeing from ferocious dinosaurs in the next does feel a bit jarring.
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STUNNING VISUALS in the end of oak street
Fortunately, the film's prehistoric sequences are an absolute blast.
The visual execution of the dinosaurs is stunning, offering enough species variety to keep viewers guessing what will stomp on-screen next.
As a bonus, the creature designs embrace scientifically accurate feathering, delivering a massive win for dino-nerds.
Director David Robert Mitchell, known for mastering creeping unease, proves exactly how to craft thrilling, suspenseful action.
Eschewing cheap jump scares in favor of quiet dread, Mitchell delivers some phenomenal set pieces, with a tense encounter involving a massive prehistoric snake serving as a major cinematic standout.
Despite the terrifying creatures, the film remains remarkably family-friendly. Younger audiences are sure to love the adventure, as the gore is heavily restrained.
One penultimate death scene felt too swift and cartoonish so it was hard to take seriously, but that’s probably done to avoid showing too much blood.
Meanwhile, the science elements in the film manage to feel familiar and fresh at the same time.
It is a time-travel narrative that explores entirely new concepts, and while the lack of a detailed explanation might leave audiences with questions, it practically guarantees lively discussions after the movie.
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ON IMPRESSIVE 2026 FILMS OF ANNE HATHAWAY
So, how does The End of Oak Street stack up in Anne Hathaway's 2026 filmography?
While it may not carry the legacy weight of The Devil Wears Prada 2, the indie prestige of Mother Mary, or the sprawling epic scale of The Odyssey, this ambitious prehistoric adventure stands out as a wildly original cinematic journey on its own.
Even if the heavy domestic drama occasionally clashes with the lighthearted dinosaur thrills, the film's stunning visuals, gripping action, and intriguing sci-fi mystery make it an exciting, family-friendly blockbuster well worth taking.
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