Stephen King Gives Seal of Approval to 99-Minute Sci-Fi Dinosaur Movie

Horror mastermind Stephen King had made his way to the theater to see The End of Oak Street, the new sci-fi film that’s now playing on the big screen. The Carrie author gave his seal of approval to the movie, finding it to be a fun throwback to summer movies of the past.

The End of Oak Street tells the story of a suburban family from the 1980s, along with their neighborhood, being transported into the age of dinosaurs. After King saw it at the theater, he shared a post on X urging his followers to go out and see it as well. He particularly recommended that people see it on the big screen like he did, which he found to be “total fun” and reminiscent of how going out to the movies in the summer used to be many years ago.

The End of Oak Street Is a “Glorious Throwback”

“You should see THE END OF OAK STREET on the big screen,” King’s post stated. “What a glorious throwback to summer movies as they were back in the day. Total fun.”

When one fan responded that they were going to see the film at a drive-in theater, King enthusiastically replied, “Yeah!”

King is not alone in his opinion. The response to The End of Oak Street has been quite strong, earning the film a Certified Fresh score of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Its audience score isn’t too far behind that number at 77%. CBR’s own Rachel Leishman praised the movie in a review, calling its release the “perfect way to close out summer.”

“The End of Oak Street has the perfect kind of vibe for a later summer release,” the review reads. “As the fall is creeping in and the horror season is upon us, it teeters between the action of a blockbuster, the terrifying nature of a dinosaur movie, and something uniquely Mitchell as you’re following through the twists and turns of the script.”

The Film Has Been Called the Best Dinosaur Movie in Years

David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) wrote and directed The End of Oak Street. It stars Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada 2), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Maisy Stella (Nashville), and Christian Convery (The Monkey). Mitchell produced alongside J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Jon Cohen, Matt Jackson, and Tommy Harper.

Naturally, the movie has drawn a lot of comparisons to Jurassic Park. That goes beyond its connection to that franchise by having its dinosaurs created by Industrial Light & Magic, which also provided the effects for the Jurassic Park series. Many reviews for The End of Oak Street have said that this film is notably better than many of those movies, labeled as among the best dinosaur films to be released in many years.

The End of Oak Street, which was just barely able to secure a PG-13 rating, is now playing in movie theaters.