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Punk rock music is known for its grit and anger, its earsplitting volumes, and its wild, no holds barred attitude. And as far as movies go, they don’t get a whole lot more punk rock than the raw indie thriller Green Room.
Green Room follows a punk band as a frustrating tour turns deadly. After traveling from city to city in an old van, doing low-paying gigs and college radio interviews, they get a chance to do a show that could help them pay for the gas money home. The catch: it’s at a skinhead club. Though their set goes relatively well, a misplaced phone causes mild-mannered Pat (Anton Yelchin) to stumble into a violent crime scene. And as the club owner (Patrick Stewart) and his followers begin arranging the cover-up, the band members begin their fight for survival.
As the four rockers find themselves locked in a room with a dead body, the victim’s friend, and a big, burly skinhead, the tension builds to breathtaking levels. Inside the room, the group attempts to find an escape. Outside the room, a bunch of merciless thugs are planning their demise. And, from time to time, the two groups come together in loud, explosive surges of gunfire, knives, attack dogs, and blood-spurting violence. It’s dark and disturbing and wonderfully intense.
But beyond the violence and suspense, there are also some interesting characters—like Patrick Stewart’s cool and cunning Darcy and the gang of thugs who are willing and ready to do anything he asks. The band members, meanwhile, aren’t really developed individually, but they’re intriguing as a group: four young people who are definitely more like the quaint, suburban garage version of a punk band than the kind that starts riots and burns down venues. And as the band members come face to face with some violent, ruthless characters, they suddenly realize that they’re not nearly as hardcore as they once thought.
Still, despite the fact that they’re in way over their heads, the film never turns their story into a comedy. In fact, that just makes it all the more terrifying. The characters aren’t depicted as bumbling misfits battling vicious monsters but as a group of kids who have to grow up fast and find their own way to survive. The only way they’ll make it out is by pretending to be something they’re not. And as they endure attacks and race headlong into almost certain death, you’ll hold your breath, waiting to see if any of them will make it out alive.
Green Room is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat fight for survival—loud and edgy and disorienting. It definitely isn’t for the weak of heart—or the short of breath—but horror fans won’t want to miss this taut punk rock thriller.
Blu-ray Review:
The sudden, shocking death of talented young Green Room star Anton Yelchin makes the release of this gripping thriller bittersweet. And had the Blu-rays not been printed and packaged and ready to go out the door at the time of Yelchin’s death, I’m sure there would have been some kind of tribute on the special features menu. Instead, there’s just one making-of feature, Into the Pit: Making Green Room, which touches on various parts of the film’s production. Director Jeremy Saulnier discusses his hardcore history and the difficult shoot in Portland, where horrible weather conditions only added to the film’s eerie atmosphere. And cast members discuss the script, the music, and their role in the film.
For a more in-depth exploration of the film, there’s also a commentary track with Saulnier, who offers the interesting perspective of a talented young indie filmmaker who’s beginning to break into the industry.
While the special features here are minimal, they still offer an interesting look at the future of Hollywood—with interviews with a young, up-and-coming director and his young crew. And the pair of extras will give viewers a fresh take on filmmaking.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
