There is a tension in this temporary world between the ugliness of sin and the inklings of the glorious restored creation that is to come. It’s a tension captured by Beasts of the Southern Wild, an astonishingly original little film slowly making its way into theaters. Set in a lowland community whose impoverished residents have refused to move to higher ground, the movie centers on a young girl whose eyes are attuned to the natural beauty around her, even as she lives in filth and braves the constant threat of floods. Gritty, magical, and apocalyptic—there are also prehistoric creatures that arise out of melting polar ice—Beasts is a strange and wonderful brew that recognizes that love and mercy have their place, even in the muddiest spots on earth. (Fox Searchlight)
