Film opens first night of programming at new Nickelodeon Theatre 
It may be the most imaginative, cinematic experience that mixes the magical and the dirt-real in ways never seen before. The name may make the film sound dour and stressful, but this film is the exact opposite. Trust me.
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” is loosely adapted from a one-act play called “Juicy and Delicious” — though it’s difficult to see that anything so cinematic, and shot in a wondrous locale, could have come from the stage.
The opening shot introduces us to the 6-year-old Hushpuppy, a fearless girl who lives with her alcoholic but loving father, Wink, in a tiny, rundown bayou community called the Bathtub. The Bathtub is actually its own island located south of the Louisiana levees, where the residents share a unique ideology of the outside world. Hushpuppy shares this sense of optimism in a community that sees an essence of living in what others would call junk, thinking of her as somewhat of a paradise.
“We’s got the best place on earth,” Hushpuppy says about her community, where everyone parties on whatever alcohol they can find and lights up fireworks when it’s not even the Fourth of July.
However, Hushpuppy, along with all of the residents of the Bathtub, faces a multitude of challenges as her reality becomes victim to similar troubles from the outside world. With her father’s health failing as a historic storm heads toward the Bathtub, Hushpuppy learns she has to have a fierce love of life to survive in her “Where the Wild Things Are” world.
As for the “beasts” the title alludes to, that’s where the creative and imaginative elements of the movie really come into play. The beasts could be one of two things in the film: They could be the residents of the Bathtub since they practically live as “animals” away from modern society, or they could be the Aurochs, boarlike prehistoric beasts Hushpuppy imagines have been thawed from collapsing polar ice caps.
This notion of seeing the world through Hushpuppy’s point of view gives “Beasts” a sense of innocence not felt since “Forrest Gump.” In voice-overs, Hushpuppy speaks of things seen through the naiveté of youth, such as how the world is filled with small parts that make up a bigger part and how her mother “swam away,” constantly looking at the water for her to return home.
At the center of the film, newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis is a force to be reckoned with at such a young age. She effortlessly portrays the optimistic Hushpuppy, who also has a menacing side thanks to the tough life she lives.
Dwight Henry also strikes the perfect note as the gruff Wink, a man whose fathering may be seen as borderline abusive. But deep down, he is a caring parent who spends his final days on earth preparing his daughter for the real world.
Unfortunately, “Beasts” is by no means perfect — though it comes close despite one flaw: the camera work. Cinematographer Ben Richardson does capture some breathtaking images of the nature that surrounds the Bathtub, but the handheld framing makes the overall feel a bit too self-consciously gritty and ruins opportunities to truly soak in the visuals.
There’s also the question of what “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is trying to tell us — but asking what this movie is about is like asking why the sky’s blue. “Beasts” simply presents itself as a magical film that is simply more of an experience than anything else, even an argument.
Similar to Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life,” director Benh Zeitlin presents a surrealistic style that desperately requires patience from its viewers. It isn’t a film for those who demand simple logic or easy answers.
This is an imaginative, independent film whose small budget is a complete blessing, allowing the filmmakers to work with their own style of storytelling. It may not always make sense, but, as Hushpuppy would say, the universe manages to fit it together exactly right.
With its wondrous sense of magic realism, dreamlike quality and breathtaking performances from nonprofessional actors, “Beasts” may very well be the hidden gem of the summer.