The next report card is for the indie horror Green Room.
Green Room - directed and written by Jeremy Saulnier; starring Alia Shawkat, Imogen Poots, Anton Yelchin, Patrick Stewart.
CHARACTERS: B+
Some movies with ensemble casts don't bother with character development, but Green Room is different. For a big chunk of the movie, eight people are trapped in a small room, and while the action is intense, the audience doesn't get lost with who is who. We identify with the characters, specially the members of The Ain't Rights, and we want them to survive.
However, Darcy is probably the best character. He gives out orders to his hooligans with such calm and collectedness that we smell how dangerous he is. This man has done many "clean-ups" before and he gets away with it.
He is the perfect villain.
ACTING: A
It is no surprise Sir Patrick Stewart slays as Darcy, the leader of a white supremacist group. He is manipulative, powerful, and extremely creepy. But then again, we all know the man can act. Anton Yelchin and Alia Shawkat are also amazingly believable as members of the struggling punk rock band The Ain't Rights. As their day takes a turn for the worse, they behave as most of us would if we were trapped by Neo-Nazis: they make mistakes, they get hurt badly, they cry, they are terrified.
Imogen Poots is also fun as Amber, the slightly deadpan semipsycho member of another band. She delivers one of the most gruesome scenes in the movie, and her acting matches its intensity like a glove.
Nobody does a poor job in Green Room. This is the first movie Saulnier did not shoot himself, since he wanted to focus primarily on the actors and their performance. A winning choice.
VISUALS (FX, MAKEUP, COSTUMES, SETS): A
This movie is rich in texture. The sets are gritty, dirty, and completely authentic to the point it seems we are truly in an underground skinhead infested warehouse. The costumes are also perfect, but what truly shines in this category is the special effects.
The wounds and blood work in this movie is mind blowing. It is visceral, extremely realistic, and not for the weak. We are talking about gunshot wounds to the head, lethal dog bites to the throat, machete slashes and a lot more. It was delicious.
MUSIC & SOUND: A-
The music is as intense as the action in this movie. The soundtrack is filled with hard rock songs, some of which are original, and others are punk classics like Dead Kennedys's "Nazi Punks Fuck Off." It fits the movie, and you don't have to be a screamo fan to appreciate it.
TONE (ACTION, ROMANCE, COMEDY): A
This thriller-action-horror movie is an adrenaline rush. With a few jump-scares, this movie shines with its tension building and psychological warfare.
ACTION: Get ready to have your heart racing. The action in this movie is not for the weak, since it is covered in blood and gnarly wounds. You won't be seeing car chases, but you will get machete fights, dog attacks, bones breaking, and plenty of guns.
COMEDY: There are some moments of light comic relief like most horror movies, but no laugh-out-loud beats.
ROMANCE: No romance whatsoever in this movie. Thank the gods. The story doesn't ask for it or have room for it, so it was refreshing to see the director didn't try to force something odd down our throats.
FINAL GRADE: A
Green Room is quite possibly one of the most original indie horror movies to date. With rich aesthetic and interesting character development, it is hard not to appreciate this movie even if you are not a horrorphile. However if you are not used to extreme violence, this movie might be hard to watch. The special effects makeup department delivers amazingly realistic wounds and deaths and director Jeremy Saulnier makes sure you are at the edge of your seat the whole entire time. It is tense, gritty, and dirty. It was close to perfect and this Fangirl thinks you should watch it.
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE GREEN ROOM?
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