WTF did I just watch? A slasher-siege-horror mindfuck so amazing I had to write a review straight away..
There is no way I could review this movie without acknowledging how endlessly impressed I was from start to finish, so, spoiler alert: This movie kicks ass. Green Room tells the grizzly story of a broke punk band on the road, ending up involved in some seriously bizarre and dangerous shit.
Fed up and running out of options, they agree to play in a secluded club venue, deep in the woods of Cascadia. The audience: An organised gang of Neo Nazi thugs. Starting their set with Dead Kennedys "Nazi Punks Fuck Off ", they are suddenly rather less welcome. Of course, when one of the band members sees something he shouldn't have, any remaining welcome they may have had is abruptly brought to an end, and thus begins a most bloody, intense clusterfuck.
Anton Yelchin (above) plays Pat, arguably our main protagonist. He spends the whole movie battling for survival, while simultaneously pondering the all important question - "What is your desert island band?" (no really)
If you hated him in Star Trek as much as I did, don't worry, his performance here far beyond makes amends, and under the unfortunate circumstances of his untimely death, it's wonderful to see him go out on such a high note.
Much has been made of Patrick Stewarts performance as Darcy, the cold-blooded gang leader. I found it understated, but perfectly so. His character is gimmick-free, making him all the more convincing. You might recognise the dude beside him at the bar in the picture above. That's Macon Blair, who starred in Blue Ruin, another film directed by Jeremy Saulnier. Whether the color thing in the movie names is a coincidence or part of a loosely linked slasher series remains to be seen.
Imogen Poots (above) steals the whole show for me though. She plays Amber, a nonchalant, dangerous Nazi, with a killer haircut, a torn allegiance.. oh, and a box-cutter. There are a few clever laughs along the way but action and suspense are top of the menu. The movie grinds along for 90 minutes without the need for an over the top musical score. Instead we have utter grittiness, with nobody safe, and no object spared if it can be used as a weapon, including fire extinguishers, dogs, and microphone stands. Get the idea? This movie was instantly one of my favourite slasher/horror movies of all time. Don't miss it.
