Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild is one of the strangest films to come out this year. At the same time, it proves its worth by being one of the most visually stunning films around.

Young Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) lives with her father Wink (Dwight Henry) in the Southern Community called "the Bathtub." One night, a massive storm floods the community. As Hushpuppy imagines it, fierce creatures called Aurochs have now been freed from the Ice Caps. Outside of her imaginary world, her community is falling apart and Wink's health is fading. To survive these changes, Hushpuppy has to grow up.

Based on Lucy Alibar's one-act play, Juicy and Delicious, the film was written by Alibar and director Benh Zeitlin. Amongst the crew Zeitlin assembled, the greatest standouts are production designer Alex DiGerlando and cinematographer Ben Richardson. Together, the two effectively create "the Bathtub" as an apocalyptic community even before the storm comes. It's an amazing site to behold, even if it actually is kind of bleak.

As Hushpuppy, Wallis's debut role is the film's standout. Her perception of the world is so innocent, yet her will to survive is fierce. She headlines the cast from her first scene onwards, never losing the audience's interest once. In addition to her, the entire cast is made up of newcomers, and they are all believable in their roles.

For some, its bleak real life setting might destroy their enjoyment of the film's fantasy. But for me, this is a great film about facing the realities of the world, both good and bad. For that reason, Beasts of the Southern Wild should be sought out if you can find it.