Staci Layne Wilson’s Antlers review, says it’s a gloomy, moody horror film that will depress as much as scare you.

Produced by horror heavy-hitters Guillermo del Toro and David S. Goyer, Antlers is a dark, moody, broody tale about how trauma, grief, abuse and addiction can affect the soul in the form of a monster—the indigenous First Nations boogeyman, Wendigo, to be exact.

Based on a short story by Nick Antosca (Channel Zero), Antlers takes place in a depressed Oregon town that’s been beset by unemployment and drug dealers. Lifelong resident Paul Meadows (Jesse Plemons) is the sheriff, and his sister Julia (Keri Russell), a teacher, has recently returned home only to find that things have gone from bad to worse.

Still, she perseveres and takes an interest in a solemn young student, Lucas (Jeremy T. Thomas), who is clearly suffering some kind of abuse. Or maybe he’s just sad because he lost his mother recently… and it was not due to natural causes.

Lucas’s dad, Frank (Scott Haze), was attacked by some sort of creature, and he’s been a nearly catatonic recluse ever since, locked away in the house and refusing to go out. Julia becomes alarmed and decides to follow the boy home one day—and inadvertently unleashes an unspeakable evil that’s barely been held at bay by young Lucas.

Worried about his welfare, and especially interested in saving a kid from an abusive situation, Julia follows Lucas around town and shows up at his home looking for his dad so she can determine whether or not he’s abusing his son. In poking around and trying to save a vulnerable kid, Julia unwittingly unleashes the ancient evil which had only been precariously kept at bay by young Lucas’ efforts.

We learn what exactly the Wendigo is, as described by the former sheriff, Warren Stokes (Canadian First Nations actor, Graham Greene). This mythical creature is said to possess a frozen heart, has deer and human hybrid characteristics, and those possessed by this evil spirit will have feelings of insatiable greed and hunger, and a craving for human meat that is so strong they will kill even their loved ones to get it.

While the film is shot in beautiful and deep darkness—which enhances the feeling that something is indeed lurking in the shadows—we never really get to know these beleaguered characters enough to actually care about them. Fortunately, the top-tier cast helps pass the time more quickly than otherwise expected. But when all is said and done, the relentless, humorless gloom makes Antlers a pretty hard watch.

Does this Antlers review make you want to embrace the darkness? Get showtimes and tickets at Fandango.com

Staci Layne Wilson reviews Antlers, a gloomy, moody horror film that will depress as much as scare you.