Halloween was last week, but that doesn’t mean we’re running short on horror flicks. Director Julius Avery and producer J.J. Abrams’s Overlord was released in theaters last week and it wanted its presence felt by audiences. Spoiler Alert! I felt it.
Contrary to popular belief and rumors, many thought that the film was going to be another chapter to the Cloverfield series but that doesn’t seem to be the case. What we got instead was what I would consider one of the most intense movies of the year. There is no rest whatsoever. From the incredible ten minute sequence at the beginning of the film, all the way to its climax, Overlord does not let go, almost to a fault at times.
Filled with no holds barred action and brutal violence, another thing that captures the audience right of the bat is the volume. This movie is loud, and it doesn’t care about your ears. A group of soldiers parachutes into France during World War II, with the assignment of blowing up a church tower so that reinforcements can infiltrate the area, but even for a WWII film, things take a grisly turn when they discover that Nazis are administering tests that are mutating locals, in an attempt to create soldiers with insurmountable strength.
Running at close to two hours, the film does an astonishing job at keeping its pace, so much so, that the audience rarely ever has a chance to digest what just happens in each frame. The over the top violence, while at times corny, manages to remain enticing. Be warned though! It might be a little much for some and it does reach its limitations by the time the film nears its end.
One of the other things worth noting in the movie is the story. Not once does the plot in the film feel overwhelming. It lets the action in the film do that instead. Aside from some bad one-liners, there isn’t much to complain about this film other than its intensity is always on the throttle. This is not a bad thing, but to some, it may be overbearing and invasive but what else might you expect from a WWII zombie movie?
Even with its minor faults, the plot, action, and overall entertainment factor of the film should leave viewers feeling like they got what they paid for. All in all, Overlord is a kick to the chest that forces you to stay awake from start to finish. If you’re a fan of the horror/thriller genre, now’s the time to go see it.
