Green Room Movie Review

Green Room (2015)

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Written by:  Jeremy Saulnier
Directed by:  Jeremy Saulnier 
Starring:   Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Patrick Stewart
Rated: R

My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it. Read my previous movie reviews!

Plot:
A punk rock band is under attack by skinheads at a bar.

Verdict:
This is a wild and gory ride that just keeps getting more bleak. It's not far removed from a horror slasher film. It's raw and very indie, but it doesn't rely on common cliches. The bulk of the movie takes place in just one building, which is deftly handled. Patrick Stewart takes on an interesting role, and this is one of Anton Yelchin's final roles.
Watch it.

Review:
The movie quickly establishes that this is a poor band barely making it from gig to gig. They are desperate for any job that will provide enough money to fill the gas tank of their van.

The band agrees to a gig at bar that they probably should have passed on, but they need the cash. They had driven out of their way for a gig that didn't pan out, and now are desperate.
The movie twists when Pat (Anton Yelchin) sees something he shouldn't have at the bar. This culminates in a stand off between the band and the owner of the bar. While the band seems awfully calm with the situation, they are at a seedy bar and freaking out could be a quicker end.

The bad guys that run the bar cleverly cover up Pat's 911 call. A few clever plot points make this more than just a mindless slasher film. Saulnier develops a sense of unease as the band is trapped, and we question the eventual outcome. We know this is going to jump off, but the question is how and when. When things get crazy this goes all out. This movie gets gruesome, almost needlessly so.

Saulnier does a lot with just one room, and while the band attempts escape multiple times, it doesn't end well. I wondered just how bleak this was going to end. It seemed like death was assured for everyone trapped in the room. Their lives are just swirling down the drain, and it keeps getting worse.

Like the band's music, which doesn't sound very good, this movie is raw and intense. It feels slightly like a B-movie, but with more polish and no jump scares. This isn't scary, it just uneasy. Death seems inevitable as Darcy (Stewart) directs his cronies to become more forceful in evicting the band from the bar. When a simple cover up soon becomes impossible, Darcy orders his crew to go in guns blazing. Stewart does a great job in a dark role. Yelchin also stands out. The ending of the movie was surprising, with the tone twisting just a bit.