Director Adam Wingard returns to his gritty roots with Onslaught, an 80s-drenched slasher that is a pulpy, blood-soaked blast and a wonderful return to form for the filmmaker.
Onslaught centers on a veteran and single mother named Celeste (Adria Arjona) who, while looking after her daughter for the night, is confronted by genetically engineered soldiers who have broken free from a top secret research facility and have become a wreaking havoc on their small, tranquil town. Joining Arjona in the film’s impressive cast is Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Michael Biehn and Drew Starkey in colorful, eclectic supporting roles that only add to the fun.
After spending a considerable amount of time in the Monsterverse with tentpole blockbusters like Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, director Adam Wingard feels delightfully at home with this low-budget action thriller that fits him like a glove. Serving as a spiritual successor to his cult favorite The Guest, the concept is simple, but the execution is wonderfully muscular and visceral. Writer Simon Barrett’s lean, pulpy script wastes very little time getting to the mayhem, setting the stage briskly, but also very skillfully. As for the set pieces, they simply do not disappoint. Wingard’s direction, coupled with the stellar sound design and moody cinematography, hit the screen like a freight train, delivering ample thrills, chills, and genuinely great jolts that are bound to play exceedingly well with a crowd. The kills are suitably gruesome and the immersive atmosphere takes hold from the opening frame and never lets go.
It also doesn’t hurt that the cast is perfection here. Arjona steps up to the plate and cements herself as a bonafide action star, showcasing a physicality and machismo that makes her an easy heroine to root for as the bullets begin to fly in every conceivable direction. She also effectively taps into Celeste’s heavily apparent PTSD from her time serving, never veering too over the top, but nicely nuanced. Her relationship with her daughter is also a welcomed, needed touch, the duo become the beating heart of the film as their world is continuously turned upside down. The supporting turns are also a riot, Stevens’ German scientist Hans Kammler a big standout, the ever versatile actor continuing to show his prowess and affinity for playing vile, unhinged and left of center characters. Starkey is also a surprisingly great addition as Cyrus, an eccentric hitman and government fixer assigned to lead a clean-up crew who lights up the screen like a match whenever he pops up.
However, this action thriller suffers from a few hindrances that notably hold it back. The film sports a lean and mean ninety minute runtime and that actually works to its detriment, resulting in a climax that could’ve benefited from an added ten to fifteen more minutes to weave in another set piece or two and utilize some of its supporting characters more. Speaking of the supporting characters, many feel stranded and more so wasted here. Hall, whose character is clearly one of the higher ups in this shady and experimental organization, is hardly used at all, appearing intermittently with very little to do, leaving her hampered with a character that feels more like window dressing than anything else. Starkey is also given very little work with and despite delivering a magnetic, offbeat performance, a fascinating character like his deserved far more screen time and meatier material to chew on. Between the two characters, there was plenty of potential unfortunately left to rot on the table.
Speaking of the central characters, there isn’t much to mine beneath the surface. Celeste is given very little depth or three-dimensionality and the supporting characters follow suit. These are characters that needed more time breath and take shape, but it becomes clear quite quickly that Wingard and Barrett are far more interested in delivering genre thrills than getting in the trenches with their characters. Then there’s the film’s less than subtle social commentary about the government and how veterans are treated that feels truncated and underdeveloped to put it mildly. While there was certainly ample potential in delving into that territory, the film only feels comfortable dipping its toes in the water instead of diving into the deep end. Like the genetically engineered soldiers at its center, this is a film with one very specific directive on its mind and what it focuses on it does incredibly well.
4 out of 5 stars.
Onslaught may not have much bubbling beneath its grimy, blood-drenched surface, but this is an action thriller that not only entertains in spades, but reminds audiences what Wingard can do when he’s paired with the right juicy material and is truly let off the leash to do what he does best. This eighties inspired slasher may feel like it was bred in the womb of John Carpenter, but make no mistake, this is Wingard’s baby and he is a rightfully proud father.
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