Overlord

There’s always something fun when Nazis are among the best villains to hate in modern movies. There’s usually some kind of cheesy over-the-top personality that makes many audiences root for the heroes even more to overcome their nefarious schemes. Some of these exciting antagonists include Red Skull & Hydra from the Marvel media, Nazi zombies from Dead Snow, and those from the fictional Quentin Tarantino film Inglorious Basterds as their horrible actions highlighted which they perform with a smug smile. This brings us to Overlord, a new film that was produced by JJ Abrams, directed by Julius Avery (Son of a Gun), and written by Billy Ray (Captain Philips, Secret in Their Eyes) and Mark L Smith (The Revenant, Martyrs). The marketing campaign made it appear intriguing by the simple premise and it gained some buzz after premiering at films festivals in September. It earned a positive critical reception upon its release but it hasn't been talked about that much social media talk about it. I entered the auditorium ready to see if it's worth overlooking and left enjoying this underrated action horror film.

Plot: Taking place during WWII on the eve of D-Day, the story follows a group of surviving soldiers on a mission to take out a radio tower who encounter an evil Nazi experiments. What makes this simple premise a worthy watch is the fast pace that accompanies it as it does what it needs to do for this genre. It recognizes the type of B-movie spirit it's aiming for and doesn't leave any room for any needless filler. The suspense surrounding the situation that's placed between the action scenes is supported by the uncomfortable villain and creepy imagery. While there aren't many action scenes since the budget is restricts with other priorities with the horror element, the effort in that area shines bright in the beginning and ending.

It's worth noting that it does fall prey to typical cliches found with this kind of horror film, such as characters making certain mistakes. The story suffers from third act-itis where the effectiveness of its antagonist stumbles down in quality, but thankfully the fast pace helps in quickly getting past this.

Characters: The people to focus on are Private Ed Boyce (Jovan Adepo), Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russel), and Captain Wafner (Pilou Asbaek). Boyce is a paratrooper whose PTSD from his intense experiences test his good nature morality in scary circumstances during the mission. Jovan gives a great performance as this lead protagonist whose fear is on display through his reaction to the horrors around him. Ford is the lead paratrooper and explosives expert determined to complete the mission without. Wyatt is an entertaining scene stealer with how he conveys his fierce attitude in a troubling environment. 

Wafner is a Hauptsturmführer (high rank in Nazi paramilitary) who becomes an intimidating obstacle for the group. Pilou is such a fun choice actor as this villain where you can tell he's having an enjoyable time in the role, which is in his ballpark since he was on Game of Thrones in season 7 as the despicable Euron Greyjoy. An honorable mention goes to Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier) for not only displaying a sympathy need for her role but for also being a solid female character in a horror film as she's not a Mary Sue and makes a few noticeable mistakes. 

Overall Consensus: Overlord thrives on creating a thrilling action horror experience through solid acting performances, exciting sequences, smooth pacing, and chilling suspense. ⭑⭑⭑⭑1/4🎟🍿 Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes R

Reasons to watch it: You like any of the aforementioned actors. You love Nazis as movie villains. You enjoy action films taking place during WWII. You aren't sensitive to blood and gore. You don't mind predictable horror cliches.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You are annoyed with Nazis as movie villains. You hate action films taking place during WWII. You are sensitive to blood and gore. You dislike predictable horror cliches.