Overlord
(2018)Over-the-top action horror follows US soldiers on a mission behind enemy lines who discover a Nazi lab full of unholy experiments.... More
On the eve of D-Day, American paratroopers are dropped behind enemy lines to carry out a mission crucial to the invasion's success. But as they approach their target, they begin to realise there is more going on in this Nazi-occupied village than a simple military operation. They find themselves fighting against mysterious, powerful forces - part of a Nazi experiment. At one point reported to be an entry in the Cloverfield universe, producer J.J. Abrams announced its separation from that series in early 2018.Hide
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Directed by Julius Avery ('Son of a Gun')
Starring Wyatt Russell, Pilou Asbæk, Iain De Caestecker, Bokeem Woodbine, John Magaro, Jovan Adepo, Michael Epp
Written by Billy Ray, Mark L. Smith
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Overlord
BY Daphne-Carvalho superstar
BY Alissa-Warren superstar
This film will keep you riveted from the first frame to its last. Set in WWII in France as it follows a group of surviving paratroopers on a mission that quickly becomes a whole lot more horrifying. It's loud, in your face action, gory but really quite a little gem of a horror film. Its kinda schlocky but it embraces this and practically revels in its absurdity. But in the end this is just a whole lotta fun.
BY TessaB nobody
Looking for a relaxing, soothing flick? Then maybe choose another film. If instead you're keen to spend two hours on the edge of your seat watching WW2 soldiers fight it out against some of the scariest zombies I've seen in awhile then I can't recommend Overlord enough.
BY Bashfulinc nobody
Two of my favourite genres mixed together? What more could I ask for. Think a mix of Inglorious Basterds and Zombieland and you're part way there. Lots of giggles and laughs through the film will tell you that historical accuracy and plot have been left behind for action filled fun and gore. But it really was a rollercoaster of fun. Loved it.
BY adamatdramatrain superstar
Julius Avery’s ‘Overlord’ gets the special effects right, combining make-up, practical and CGI just right. Sadly all in service of a film neither funny enough to be splat-stick, nor terrifying enough to be gore-drenched horror.
I’m a splat-stick fan. Sam Raimi’s ‘Evil Dead 2’ and Peter Jackson’s ‘Braindead’ are amongst my favourite movies. I love practical SFX, give me John Carpenter’s original ‘Thing’ or Stuart Gordon’s... More ‘Re-Animator’ over CGI-generated horrors any day of Halloween season.
‘Overlord’s opening scene’s a cracker though. We follow Jovan Adepo as an American paratrooper, flying over Nazi-occupied France, only to have his plane hit, forcing him to jump… hang on, wait a second. Haven’t I seen this scene in that Tom Cruise sci-fi ‘The Edge of Tomorrow’?
Oh yeah, still, it’s great to see a horror movie kick off with an action-packed World War II opening clearly influenced by the “drop the audience straight in the action”-style of ‘Saving Private Ryan’. Exhilarating, exciting and excellently put together, the first ten-minutes of ‘Overlord’ rock.
Then it sort of stumbles, with clichéd characters – the tough as nails lead soldier, who really has a heart of gold, the damsel in distress (who, despite needing to be saved three times, suddenly turns into Ripley from ‘Aliens’, and kicks Nazi butt), the wide-eyed raw recruit etc etc.
Okay, all forgivable, all part of the fun. But where ‘Overlord’ lost me was in failing to set up the rules of its game. Remember how in ‘Dracula’ movies the wise old Van Helsing dude lays out the rules? Vampire + sunlight or stake through the heart = dead. Or how werewolf + silver bullet = game over. Or zombie minus head = done.
In ‘Overlord’ the Nazi super soldiers are indestructible and totally, um, destructible all at once. The super-serum doesn’t work, then suddenly does. All forgivable if this was an out and out comedy, but because ‘Overlord’ wants to meld comedy and horror it fails to build any tension or real stakes because it refuses to lay down, let alone play by, any basic rules.
A shame, because the pace and action are handled with deft assurance, and the cast are great, despite the likes of Pilou Asbæk being severely underutilised.
The 100-minute or so run-time is so brief that it really could do with an added 20-minutes of exposition, to set up the rules of the game. Think back on how ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ started with a slam-bam action set-piece, then took its time setting up characters and plot points, all to pay off in the second and third acts.
Then there's the narrative threads and ideas left unexplored - the visual birthing imagery is repeated but to no real end. It's as though the filmmakers really love the 'Alien' movies, but are simply copying elements from them, rather than giving them new life.
There’s also an odd imbalance in the narrative, wherein our hero finds himself inside the church the evil Nazi doctor is experimenting on local people in, but then our hero escapes, only to return in an all too brief third act to take the lab down. It’s as though the film realises it’s reached its climax too early and doubles-back on itself.
Pedantic narrative structure ramblings aside, ‘Overlord’ is always fast and frenetic, with oodles of fun for action and horror fans, but it leaves a lingering regret because it could have been so much better. As it stands, it’s fun but pretty forgettable B-movie schlock, with a superb opening sequence that the rest of the movie just can’t quite match.Hide
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The Press Reviews
For a movie about Nazi mutants, Overlord admirably has something to say. Full Review
Horror fans should cheer, as will admirers of the ensemble's up-and-coming cast. Full Review
Overlord gave me exactly what I wanted. Tight, fun, vicious, and brimming with practical FX gore, you'll be hard-pressed to find a film as gleefully bloody this year. Full Review
This is why horror fans go to the movies. Bold ideas, blackened execution, and a fighting spirit that spits at enemy feet. Full Review
What it lacks in novelty, subtlety or character, it partially makes up in sheer abandon. This is a big, loud, violent, gleefully gory sledgehammer of a film with, crucially, a careful tongue in cheek. Full Review
Overlord injects a healthy dose of schlock into familiar war-movie tropes to create an entertainingly grungy hybrid, but it never quite kicks into overdrive. Full Review
"Overlord" works best as a patriotism booster shot - it's "Inglourious Basterds" without a swizzle of irony. Full Review
BY Daniel Rutledge Flicks Writer
Overlord looks like it should be a derivative, direct-to-DVD stinker, but it pleasantly over-delivers as a charming B-grade triumph. It knows what it is, keeps its sights set on comfortably-within-range targets and nails them well. The Third Reich's flirtation with the occult has made for countless schlocky pop culture releases over the decades, most of them very average. This one probably isn't going to win any awards, but it more than deserves the cult following it will surely develop.... More
The supernatural elements aren't introduced until well into the running time after a solid pre-D-Day invasion sequence sets the tone. Tension is developed immediately and never really lets up, maintaining a satisfying rhythm that's peppered with jump-scares and violence. The American platoon that gets trapped in a Nazi-controlled French town is made up of cliched characters, but they're generally endearing enough and all anchored by Jovan Adepo's lovely lead performance.
When the freaky shit starts happening, it's wisely never over-explained. The filmmakers use visual language and rely on the audience connecting a few basic dots, galloping from action scenes to tension-building scenes and back again instead of mucking about with too much silly exposition. Despite the R-rating and large amounts of blood, Overlord doesn't wallow in excessive gore. When people are killed you definitely know they've been killed, but over-the-top violence is never done for laughs. Indeed, the tone is surprisingly serious however kitsch the subject matter may make it all sound, but somehow it really worked for me.
It won't work for everybody. Horror nuts wanting a pure dread experience, splatter comedy fans wanting to have a giggle and war movie purists all may leave disappointed. But for viewers open to an entertaining, unlikely mash-up, Overlord is bloody great.Hide
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