Review of Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) by Rylan H — 19 Feb 2013

The fascinating thing about Beasts of the Southern Wild is that it features characters who don't need to develop because their so strongly characterised by the start of the film, and are constantly proven strong by the screenplay and plot dynamics, and not even the shaky cinematography is enough to draw your attention away from the depth in Beasts of the Southern Wild.

The amazement comes from the lead young actress Quvenzhane Wallis who at age 6 manages to grasp the drama and character development of an actress whose been working for 10 times as long as her, and makes the journey of Hushpuppy an unforgettable experience. Wallis' excellent grip on drama and acting talent makes her give one of the greatest performances of any young actress today with impeccable natural talent for line delivery that you can't force anyone to learn. Quvenzhane Wallis is an adorable child that can be loved as a little girl and an actress with skills way ahead of her time.

Dwight Henry also displays prominence as a man who owns a bakery with more acting talent in him than in the entire cast of all 5 Twilight movies combined. He achieves skilled levels of emotional intensity and creates a good character for Quvenzhane Wallis to mirror.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a masterful piece of storytelling with a low budget that manages to supply more than enough for such a complicated emotional tale with such heart-wrenching themes, and even employs elements of fantasy into it's provocative story. It has a strong theme of independence and survival, as well as real heart to it's story and the fact that it was shot on location in Louisiana.

Beasts of the Southern Wild can appeal to various audiences because it is many things: A Drama film, a fantasy, a story of survival and an emotional family tale, but one thing it is definitely not is boring.