Beasts of the Southern
Wild is a fantasy drama set in the Louisiana
bayou. Five year old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is a young resident of The
Bathtub, a small community cut off from the rest of the world by a levee. She
lives there with her father Wink (Dwight Henry) a man who is desperately trying
to teach his daughter self sufficiency due to the difficult nature of their
home and a hidden illness. With a storm approaching The Bathtub many of the
residents decide to leave but Hushpuppy and Wink stay to ride it out.
Beasts is a film
that I’d heard a lot about and it has garnered several high profile awards and
nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director at the
Oscars. I personally think that only the Best Actress nominee is justified but
think that Beasts of the Southern Wild
is a compelling and interesting film that takes poetic licence with a realistic
setting.
