Indie phenom Jeremy Saulnier’s last film, Blue Ruin, has all the makings of a possible vengeance classic, and his current picture, Green Room, has all the makings of a siege classic in the same vein as John Carpenter’s Assault On Precinct 13.
Punk Rock group The Ain’t Rights are down on their luck and short on cash, so when an opportunity arises, they can’t pass it up, even if it’s in a hole frequented by Neo-Nazis. After antagonizing the Nazi punks with the song “Nazi Punks Fcuk Off,” they return to their dressing room and discover a young girl with a knife in her skull. Shit properly begins, and they attempt to flee, but are trapped in a room with a swarm of enraged, Neo-Nazis waiting outside, ready to beat their heads in.
Green Room is reminiscent of 1970s thrillers such as Straw Dogs and The Last House on the Left, in which ordinary people were obliged to employ extreme violence to protect themselves against individuals deemed savages by society.
It’s a thrilling and terrifying picture in equal measure, with the film’s sluggish beginning act effectively ratcheting up the suspense as the band seeks sanctuary from neo-Nazi thugs whose assurances of safety and police enforcement arrival are difficult to trust. Much of the violence is unexpected, visceral, and explosive, and occurs without warning or mercy. Horror and gore enthusiasts will find much to appreciate.
The members of the band might have used more development, but they are a nice group, and the chemistry they share is successful enough, as each performer (such as Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, and Joe Cole) delivers solid performances.
The guy who stole the show, though, was Patrick Stewart, who revelled in the opportunity to play the nasty and scary bar owner, Darcy. It’s also a darkly comical film, with a threat to expose that one of the band members was Jewish to an already enraged audience being particularly entertaining, and the comedy routine about Desert Island Disks eliciting laughter. This dark humour simply adds to the attractiveness of genre aficionados who already have a lot to look forward to.
