Worth: $16.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Pilou Asbæk, John Magaro, Mathilde Ollivier, Gianny Taufer
Intro:
… a cracking yarn that meshes the war and horror genres and comes up with an absolute belter of a flick.
Movies that mash different genres together are increasingly rare at the cinema these days, which is a pity. Some fantastic films have pulled off this trick, like John Carpenter’s The Thing (sci-fi and horror), Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk till Dawn (crime and horror) and Pan’s Labyrinth (fantasy and war) to name but three. It’s a trick that looks deceptively simple, but in reality is a complicated balancing act. It’s also one of the best aspects of Overlord, a cracking yarn that meshes the war and horror genres and comes up with an absolute belter of a flick.
Overlord tells the tale of a squad of paratroopers tasked with destroying a German radio tower on the eve of D-Day in WWII. Naturally, the jump goes badly – shot in a stunningly effective sequence – and the handful of survivors must work out how to complete their mission, with the D-Day deadline looming ever closer. This plot alone would have made for a taut, effective war movie but when it’s clear that the Nazis are working on some nefarious shit nearby, the movie moves into horrific territory and before you can say “Nazi zombie super soldier”, Overlord kicks right the hell off.
What’s most pleasing about Overlord is how effectively it manages both genres. The war stuff is genuinely tense and effective, but the horror is well-handled too, never descending into empty schlock or becoming a splattery dirge. The skillful direction by Aussie Julius Avery (Son of a Gun) is further buoyed by excellent performances, including Jovan Adepo as wide-eyed protagonist Ed Boyce, Wyatt Russell (Kurt Russell’s son!) as grizzled bad arse Corporal Ford, and Pilou Asbæk as villainous Nazi scumbag Hauptsturmführer Wafner. Add to this gloriously grotesque creature effects, genuinely shocking acts of violence and a rip roaring never-say-die third act and you’ve got a joyously entertaining, rollicking adventure on your hands.
Overlord is an old-fashioned movie in a way. It’s not based on a comic, or a reboot of an existing franchise; it’s a fun, self-contained, well written, acted and directed cross genre movie and a hell of a good time.