Title – The End of Oak Street (2026)

Director – David Robert Mitchell (It Follows)

Cast – Ewan McGregor, Anne Hathaway, Maisy Stella, Christian Convery

Plot – When their entire neighbourhood is mysteriously transported to another time and place, The Platt family, under the guidance of husband/father Greg (McGregor) and wife/mother Denise (Hathaway) must fight for survival as they attempt to find a way back to normality.  

“We’re going to survive”

Review by Eddie on 14/08/2026

The last true big-budget summer blockbuster to arrive for the 2026 season, David Robert Mitchell’s risky original outing The End of Oak Street may be landing in cinema screens with little fanfare compared to its recent high-profile counterparts Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey but that doesn’t mean audiences should be sleeping on what is one of the year’s most playful and fun outings.

Wearing its 80’s and Spielberg influences on its sleeve proudly and loudly, Mitchell’s collaboration with producer J.J Abrams shares much in the way of DNA with classic 80’s adventure romps and Spielberg’s own 90’s Jurassic Park features as it finds Anne Hathaway’s Denise and Ewan McGregor’s Greg fighting to save their family from a dino-filled prehistoric landscape they’ve found themselves in when their entire neighbourhood is mysteriously transported back in time.

It’s a high-concept idea and one that willingly embraces its ridiculousness and with everyone here reading the memo this brisk sub-100 minute feature rollicks along at a mostly breakneck pace delivering the right amount of character depth and spotlight around the fun and often thrilling dino action, that’s sure to leave those seeking prehistoric carnage with a great big smile on their face.

At one time a project that was shrouded in secrecy, Oak Street is an interesting move for director Mitchell who made his mark with the unique horror outing It Follows and surprised us all with the polarising newly minted cult favourite Under the Silver Lake and while Oak Street has a few components that leave a little to be desired, this venture proves he’s a director with more than a few strings to his bow, delivering on his original premise and providing audiences with an experience that can be enjoyed while the ride lasts.

With a fantastic aesthetic that brings the suburban location meets Jurassic Park to life in an alive feeling way, enhanced by the always top-tier work of regular Abrams team member, composer Michael Giacchino, Oak Street provides more than enough reasons to seek it out on the big screen as the willing Hathaway and McGregor go through all manner of terror and torment to find a way out of their odd predicament.

On a 2026 roll thanks to big success with The Devil Wears Prada 2 and the all-conquering The Odyssey, Hathaway continues her hot streak here with another top-class turn, while it’s nice to see McGregor have as much fun as he has had in years here playing the flawed but likable Greg, ensuring that Oak Street is an enjoyable trip to the bizarre even when the dinos take a back seat, making us care for what happens, which Mitchell ensures isn’t always what we expected on more than one occasion.

There’s nothing grand to be taken away from Oak Street and it does fail to take that small but significant step into becoming something we could classify as great but in an age where original blockbuster filmmaking is a dime a dozen, Oak Street is the type of film audiences should support and that we need more of and while it’s highly likely to suffer from arriving hot on the heels of recent box-office giants and be judged against them critically and commercially, one hopes there’s a big enough of an embracing of Mitchell’s outing that will see Hollywood invest in more of these type of fun and exciting blockbuster offerings.

Final Say –

Fast-paced with a fresh take on the beloved 80’s adventure film formula, The End of Oak Street is a quality popcorn munching thrill ride that knows what it is and runs with it. If you’re seeking top-class dino and blockbuster viewing, you’ve found the perfect way to end the summer viewing season.

3 1/2 photo worthy moments out of 5