Overlord Review

Directed By: Julius Avery
Written By: Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith
Runtime: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content

Jovan Adepo – Pvt. Ed Boyce
Wyatt Russell – Cpl. Ford
Mathilde Ollivier – Chloe
Pilou Asbæk – Wafner
John Magaro – Tibbet
Iain De Caestecker – Chase Baker
Dominic Applewhite – Rosenfeld
Erich Redman – Dr. Schmidt
Jacob Anderson – Dawson
Bokeem Woodbine – Sgt. Eldson

Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot’s Overlord is a refreshing, pulpy mash-up of World War II action-adventure mixed with some B-movie style horror, gore and frights. Those elements all come together for an entertaining thrill ride.

Set on the eve of D-Day, a group of American paratroopers are sent behind enemy lines to take out a German radio tower to help with the invasion on the beaches of Normandy. Among the group are the skittish draftee, Pvt. Ed Boyce (Adepo), and explosives expert Cpl. Ford (Russell); already a hardened veteran. After the squad’s plane is shot down by enemy fire, the remaining survivors head to a small French village with the radio tower that’s policed by the German SS.

After gaining help from a local villager, Chloe (Ollivier), who hates the Nazis as much as the American soldiers do, they try to stay hidden while planning their attack. However, the Church that holds the German communications hub is also home to a lugubrious laboratory. In this lab, Dr. Schmidt (Redman) is conducting grotesque experiments, using the civilian populace as his human guinea pigs; giving birth to undead monsters.

Director Julius Avery shows remarkable competence and innovation for his second feature; and really his first major motion picture to date. He builds tension well in several scenes focusing on long, continuous shots focused on Pvt. Boyce’s reactions to the chaos around him.

Writers Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith have created a very lean, tight script. The scope starts larger with the Invasion of Normandy before gradually tightening up to the American soldiers’ in a “Men on a Mission” story depicting just a smaller slice of the larger action. The writers and Avery then ratchet up the action generously throughout the film. The action is never ridiculously overblown or overstays its welcome. It’s juxtaposed by moments of gripping suspense when the soldiers have to avoid the brutal actions of the SS upon the local villagers, and then the grisly, disturbing imagery witnessed by Boyce in the Nazis’ unholy lab.

At times, the monsters and horror elements come off as a bit too incidental to the plot. This is probably the only area where Overlord could’ve used a bit more fleshing out; no pun intended. The monsters in the film share little in common with zombies usually seen in film or television. They share a closer resemblance to Re-Animator, which appears to be a major inspiration here.

While Overlord does quite well on its clearly limited budget, it’s more on the horror side where the limits of the budget start to show. This is probably where the plot could’ve shown and offered a little more after strong setup.

In terms of the monsters, the feature utilizes very nicely done creature and makeup effects, most of which look like they were executed practically or in-frame. Unfortunately, one particular monster is only hinted at and never makes a proper appearance.

The central cast is made up of a group of mostly fresh, but capable faces who all assert themselves well. Jovan Adepo makes for a strong protagonist playing the reluctant, but compassionate, soldier. Wyatt Russell definitely shows some potential and steely presence reminiscent of his father, actor Kurt Russell. Mathilde Ollivier is quite possibly the true breakout star and find of the film. The writers do more than make her just a cowering bystander or cliche love interest for one of the leading men. She’s also front and center for one of the best action beats of the entire film.

The rest of the main American soldier group is rounded out by John Magaro as the sniping expert Tibbet, Iain De Caestecker of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fame as a soft-spoken photography enthusiast Chase Baker and Dominic Applewhite as the Jewish Rosenfeld.

Pilou Asbæk gets to creep it up as the film’s designated SS commanding officer, Wafner. Wafner is a fairly two-dimensional villain, but Asbæk acquits himself well with what he has to work with. This is a movie where he portrays the the head Nazi in a WWII movie with undead monsters after all.

In a marketplace that’s constantly overwhelmed by a glut of remakes, reboots, sequel and the like, Overlord is a breath of fresh air. Overlord is able to successfully create a delectable new dish from familiar genre material that pairs together quite well. For a night out at the movies, Overlord is a quick, lean and satisfying thrill ride.

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Overlord is an entertaining genre mash-up with some finely tuned WWII action mixed with some suspenseful horror, gore and frights. Director Julius Avery has put together a lean, tight action-adventure experience that mixes genre concepts together well, with an able cast of mostly fresh, new faces. Avery crafts some impressive sequences, some with just one long continuous take to really maximize the impact of the chaos and suspense. In a marketplace oversaturated with reboots, sequels and the like, Overlord is a refreshing new take on familiar genre material.