EDGE on the Net

A shoe-in for a best picture Oscar nomination, Beasts of the Southern Wild is a small movie with a big spirit. Director Benh Zeitlin’s magical film adaptation of the play by "Juicy and Delicious" by Lucy Alibar has already been making many critics’ lists of the year’s best films.

Quvenzhane Wallis, who was six when the film was made, gives an Oscar-worthy performance of delightful ferocity. In the film she plays a girl named Hushpuppy, who lives with her sick father Wink (newcomer Dwight Henry) in an isolate bayou community that faces destruction after a drenching storm.

Zeitlin’s film is a moving and joyous look at the people that create who we are and the lessons we learn along the way. It’s hard to describe the wonders of this film as it must be allowed to wash over you and build to it’s emotionally resonant climax. The film is aided by a gorgeous score by director Benh Zeitlin and Dan Romer that is also worthy of an Oscar nod.

Blu-ray special features are numerous and fascinating, giving a compelling look inside the making of the film, including footage of Wallis’ audition process. They include: