Few filmmakers can claim to have set the standard for an entire genre. Steven Spielberg did it twice. 1975’s Jaws and 1993’s Jurassic Park are two of the greatest blockbuster genre films of all time. Over the course of 50 years, countless films have attempted to replicate the magic of those two classics, even within their own franchises. Unfortunately, neither franchise has managed to deliver a sequel worthy of being considered a definitive second-best entry.
While both subgenres are rich with guilty pleasures, from Deep Blue Sea and Sharknado to Tammy and the T-Rex and The VelociPastor, I never imagined another shark or dinosaur film could, at the very least, bring back the magic of those Spielberg classics.
Then came The End of Oak Street.
A film that seemingly came out of nowhere with its debut trailer, The End of Oak Street immediately piqued my interest with its inclusion of dinosaurs and David Robert Mitchell’s attachment as director. It Follows remains one of my favorite horror films of the past 15 years, and while Under the Silver Lake is not one of my favorites, it showcases Mitchell’s originality and his ability to create his own Lynchian vibes.
Print it and Book It, The End of Oak Street is the best dinosaur film since Jurassic Park. It echoes the golden-era vibes of Amblin Entertainment in its ability to take its audience on a rollercoaster ride of thrills and emotional family themes. One of the biggest surprises of 2026 is also one of the best blockbusters of the summer.
The End of Oak Street centers on the Platt family, whose ordinary suburban life is completely upended when a mysterious cosmic event transports Oak Street to a world inhabited by prehistoric creatures. Suddenly surrounded by unimaginable dangers and an environment they no longer recognize, the family must rely on one another if they have any hope of surviving.
David Robert Mitchell’s screenplay embraces the era it’s attempting to homage. Aided by impeccable production design, Mitchell’s script captures the free-spirited nature of the early 1980s, an era where the emphasis was on play rather than screens. Weaving in his signature style, Mitchell evokes a deeply personal story about familial connection and the importance of communication. Once the dinosaurs arrive, Mitchell significantly elevates the thrills without sacrificing the film’s surprisingly heartfelt core, even as some of the characters’ choices raise interesting moral and ethical questions.
What may rub some viewers the wrong way is Mitchell’s refusal to stop and answer every question, particularly what opened the portal that brought the dinosaurs into this world in the first place. That approach may be too audacious for some to accept, but much like the ’80s films that The End of Oak Street evokes in tone and style, this is a film that wants its audience to buckle up and go along for the ride. Mitchell even sneaks in another nod to David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return, one that Lynch heads will immediately catch when they see it. It’s another reminder that Mitchell is far more interested in creating an experience than explaining every detail of it. Christopher Nolan’s Tenet may have said it best: “Don’t try to understand it. Feel it.”
Elevating Mitchell’s screenplay are the performances of Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway. Both deliver wonderfully emotional and resonant performances as a married couple attempting to keep their family together through the bumps of everyday life, only to find themselves dealing with some very literal bumps once the dinosaurs arrive. McGregor and Hathaway bring an authenticity to the marriage that grounds the film, even as the circumstances surrounding them become increasingly extraordinary. Maisy Stella and Christian Convery play wonderfully off each other as well, capturing a believable brother-sister dynamic that further strengthens the film’s familial core.
On the supporting end, P.J. Byrne is always a delight to see. The secret sauce of Babylon, continues to prove why he’s one of the most delightful character actors working today, making the most of every moment he’s given. And then there’s Starbuck the dog. No notes.
Michael Giacchino’s score further captures the film’s Amblin-inspired spirit, balancing a sense of childlike wonder and sweeping adventure with the genuine danger lurking around every corner. Giacchino knows exactly when to let the music soar, particularly during the film’s more emotional and grounded moments, but he’s equally effective at heightening the intensity when the dinosaurs take center stage, fully capturing that classic Amblin ability to blend wonder, heart and genuine tension.
The End of Oak Street is the kind of blockbuster I had almost given up hope of seeing again. David Robert Mitchell doesn’t attempt to recreate Jurassic Park, but instead understands what made that era of filmmaking so special in the first place: wonder, thrills, heart, and characters worth caring about. By combining those qualities with his own wonderfully strange sensibilities, Mitchell delivers a dinosaur adventure that feels nostalgic without simply living in the past. Much like the family blockbusters of Spielberg’s era, Mitchell isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of what audiences might expect from this type of adventure, delivering dinosaur action and moments of violence that give the film a genuine sense of danger.
In many ways, The End of Oak Street is everything Jurassic World: Dominion wished it could be, proving that putting dinosaurs into the real world can actually work when there’s imagination, genuine stakes, and an emotional core behind the spectacle. More than 30 years after Spielberg made us believe dinosaurs could walk the Earth, The End of Oak Street reminded me why I fell in love with watching them do it in the first place.
