For me, last year it was the new horror classic It Follows, and now it's the wild and grisly Green Room, a remarkable new thriller with real resonance.
We are living in an age where white supremacists groups are on the rise and appear to have infiltrated the campaign of the presumptive Republican nominee for president, so this shocking film -- which portrays a punk rock band being held captive by a shadowy group of white nationalists -- is oddly timely.
Not since Misery can I recall a film with horror elements that feel so credible. The characters in this film don't make dopey, unrealistic choices. They don't needlessly put themselves in danger. In this film, the terror just finds them; and like the protagonists, the audience is on the edge of their seat watching the mayhem unfold.
The director of this film, Jeremy Saulnier, was also behind 2013's Blue Ruin, another unpredictable (and blood-soaked) thriller, that not only showed unflinching violence, but also the consequences of that violence.
As terrific as that film was, Green Room manages to top it with heaps of white knuckle tension, a fast pace, and likable, surprisingly funny performances from a mostly unknown or up-and-coming cast.
 |
| Patrick Stewart in Green Room |
The most recognizable face in the cast belongs to veteran actor Patrick Stewart, who is transformed here in a chilling, Oscar-worthy performance as the arch villain.
Not unlike John Goodman in this year's 10 Cloverfield Lane, this is a beloved character actor going for broke with breathtaking results.
But the real triumph here is Saulnier's. He manages to create and sustain an atmosphere of dread and plunge audiences into a largely unexplored but very real world that exists in many of our backyards.
And make no mistake about it, this is not a political film. Sure, the film is not in the least bit romantic about neo-Nazis and their culture, but it is first and foremost concerned with delivering knockout action and scares, and that it achieves in great supply.
It's no surprise that director Quentin Tarantino has taken to it so enthusiastically. The action in this movie has the kind of gut-punch quality he championed over 20 years ago with Pulp Fiction. Just like that film, Green Room deserves to be a word-of-mouth success; but unfortunately, in this age of nothing but blockbuster weekends, I fear that this movie will slip through the cracks and become a forgotten cult favorite.
It should be so much more. It's definitely not for the faint of heart -- there are several disturbing scenes of brutality in this movie. But the film is not torture porn, it's not sensationalist without substance. This is a truly Hitchcockian film, infused with punk rock and gore.
And with any luck, it will gain the audience it should. I know that it will likely be on my top list come December of this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment