Green Room (2015) Dir: Jeremy Saulnier
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I had heard a fair few good things about this Jeremy Saulnier directed action horror film in recent months, particularly after I posted a positive review for 'Rebel Ridge'; another Saulnier film. It certainly made sense that I'd enjoy another thriller from the same filmmaker, particularly if it was stylistically similar.
It was certainly clear to see Saulnier's style and influence on this film. He was able to create some immense levels of suspense, especially after the inciting incident. There just aren't many environments more uncomfortable and tense than being in a room full of angry white supremacists.
The lighting was interesting, but I found that it was a little too dark occasionally, which made it hard to see much of anything in certain scenes. That said, the generally dark green aesthetic served its purpose well, and gave the film a gloomy, claustrophobic feel.
The narrative was dark, it was intense, and it was utterly riveting. It played on so many themes, bs it punk culture, power dynamics, or survival. At times, it was uncomfortable to watch, due to the nature of the antagonists, but the story itself was interesting and well composed. The film's ending felt a bit rushed, like those involved were trying to get it done as fast as they could, but aside from that, I enjoyed it a lot.
The late Anton Yelchin was a believable and endearing protagonist, who had a sympathetic face and personality. It would've been easy to root for him anyway, considering the antagonists, but Yelchin's sincere and committed performance certainly did him no harm at all.
Imogen Poots was a little bit dull at first, but she won me over hugely as the film progressed. The quality of her acting increased considerably, and I found her character quite intriguing. Poots had some excellent facial expressions, especially in reaction to some of the more horrifying events of the film.
Patrick Stewart's antagonist was good, if a little underutilised. I would've loved if he'd had more to do at the beginning and end of the film, though that has nothing to do with his acting, in fairness. Stewart felt cold and callous, in a role unlike his usual. It was actually quite refreshing to see him in such a vastly different role from his typical.
The supporting cast had its best performers in Joe Cole, Macon Blair and Alia Shawkat. I thought all of them gave strong performances in their respective roles, particularly Blair, whose acting offset those around him quite nicely. Aside from those, I'll give mentions to Callum Turner, Mark Webber, Eric Edelstein, Kai Lennox and David Thompson, for their respective roles in the film.
Overall, I found this to be a very intense and thrilling horror, which utilised its antagonist's natures superbly to create a deep-seated sense of dread and tension, which is informed by very real and very scary events and people. The ending was the only aspect that really let me down, but the vast majority of this is great action and great horror.
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