When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter.
Adam Wingard has made a name for himself as a filmmaker with a keen sense of genre and spectacle. He directed the 2011 horror-thriller “You’re Next,” which put a clever twist on the slasher formula. He then made the official sequel to “The Blair Witch Project,” titled “Blair Witch,” offering a thoughtful continuation of the original’s lore. He also directed “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire,” proving he can deliver large-scale entertainment. His latest effort, the slasher horror “Onslaught,” is no different. It feels like a John Carpenter film, with Wingard paying homage to Carpenter’s stark, minimalist visual style and his restrained, synthesizer-driven score.
The story centers on Celeste (Adria Arjona), an ex-army sniper who runs a small trailer park in the tiny town of Moriarty in the New Mexico desert. Her ex-husband Griffin (Jacob Scipio) unexpectedly turns up with their young daughter, Daisy (Blake Kennedy), telling her that he has to go out of town for a last-minute work-related matter, and leaves her with Celeste, much to her chagrin. She takes Daisy to a nearby gas station to gather dinner and secure supplies for the trailer park’s generator.
At the same time, in a secret military research facility not too far from where they live, Dr. Hans Kammler (Dan Stevens), an eccentric German scientist, uses genetic engineering to turn three dangerous war criminals into unstoppable, bulletproof super-soldiers. When something goes wrong with their training, they kill everyone at the facility and then head out into the desert. They eventually wind up at Celeste’s trailer park, where they plan on exterminating everyone, but they have yet to meet the tough-as-nails Celeste, whose resilience and resourcefulness will prove formidable.
“Onslaught” is reminiscent of 1980s horror thrillers, specifically John Carpenter’s “They Live” and elements of “Escape from New York.” It also runs at a brisk 92 minutes, which left me very disheartened. I felt that just as the movie was getting really good, it ended. But that aspect was also reminiscent of 1980s horror thrillers. Today, we are used to two-and-a-half- to three- to four-hour films, so when we get one that is just an hour and a half, you somehow feel like you’re being shortchanged.
One thing about the movie that really irked me is that these three super soldiers are presented as unstoppable killing machines, but one by one, they are ultimately dispatched with relative ease. In the big finale, Celeste is left to battle the last remaining soldier, and both of them lock and load and prepare for what we perceive is going to be a monumental clash of the titans, but no sooner has the fight begun than it is over just as quickly. I was really looking forward to this element, as it is foreshadowed early on in the film, but when the time comes, it delivers an underwhelming finale.
Dan Stevens plays the villainous Dr. Hans Kammler with relish. He chews up the scenery, complete with a bald head, one milky eye, and an all-white suit with a cape, making for a visually striking antagonist. Director Adam Wingard based the character on a real historical figure named Hans Kammler, who was a brutal Nazi SS General during World War II. Our heroine, Celeste, played by Adria Arjona, is a compelling, tough ex-army sniper who will do anything to protect her young daughter. You could call “Onslaught” “Die Hard in a Trailer Park,” and wouldn’t you know it, Reginald VelJohnson, who played Sgt. Al Powell in “Die Hard” and “Die Hard 2,” just happens to be one of the trailer park’s residents.
It was great seeing Michael Biehn in action again on the big screen; it’s been far too long, and Rebecca Hall plays a nefarious dominatrix and handler to Dan Stevens’ Hans Kammler. Sadly, both she and Biehn are underutilized. In the end, “Onslaught” stands as a bloody, kinetic homage to John Carpenter. From its widescreen compositions and pulsing electronic soundtrack to its bleak, ambiguous conclusion, the movie captures the essence of Carpenter’s legacy. The ending leaves the door open for a sequel, and given the sheer entertainment value on display, I would most certainly welcome a Part 2.
In Theaters Friday, September 4th
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