Advertisement
Powered By
IMDB

Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

This marvellous bayou fable has plenty of mythic and cinematic precedents - from The Wizard of Oz to David Gordon Green's George Washington - yet remains resolutely one of a kind. Set at the edge of so-called "civilisation" on the Louisiana levee, it revolves around the relationship between big-hearted but stoic six-year-old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) and her gruff, protective father Wink (New Orleans baker Dwight Henry, making his acting debut). They are resiliently happy within their shanty-like Delta community where liquor flows, crayfish is feasted upon and self-sufficiency abides. But storm clouds are gathering: literally, in the shape of an encroaching hurricane, and metaphorically, with Wink's dicky heart and the menace of Hushpuppy's imagined prehistoric beasts. Working on a modest budget and using local talent, first-time feature director Benh Zeitlin impressively juggles elements of magical fantasy with hard-bitten poverty-line realism. This earthy depiction of a life outside of the globalised, technological present may even go so far as to offer a road map for a more modest, local, sustainable future. And, as well as being dramatically and visually engaging, the film conjures a living ecosystem that pulses, grips and ultimately enchants.

How to watch

Loading

Credits

Cast

rolename
HushpuppyQuvenzhané Wallis
WinkDwight Henry
Jean BattisteLevy Easterly
WalrusLowell Landes
Little JoPamela Harper
Miss BathshebaGina Montana
The cookJovan Hathaway

Crew

rolename
DirectorBenh Zeitlin

Details

Theatrical distributor
Studio Canal
Released on
2012-10-19
Languages
English
Guidance
Some violence.
Available on
DVD and Blu-ray
Formats
Colour
Advertisement
Advertisement

RadioTimes.com is getting better.

Fresh new look, redesigned programme hub, richer content…

FIND OUT MORE
Advertisement