Nordling here.
I adored Jeremy Saulnier's BLUE RUIN at Fantastic Fest two years ago - a fable about an utterly broken man who seeks his revenge, and it's directed so confidently by Saulnier and acted so impressively by Macon Blair that I knew we'd be seeing these two people again. Saulnier has a voice and a talent that is undeniable, with a keen eye and a masterful command of cinematic tension. Macon Blair turns in such a sympathetic performance that we are with him every step of the way. BLUE RUIN was one of the best movies to be released in 2014.
GREEN ROOM is even better. Full of nailbiting intensity, shocking moments, and crowdpleasing thrills, Saulnier's film is a huge step forward for him, and I fully expect Saulnier to be attached to some pretty huge projects before long. GREEN ROOM is one of the most tightly orchestrated thrillers since - well, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. There isn't a scene wasted. It is efficient, bravura filmmaking, and I can't wait to see it again.
Saulnier and cinematographer Sean Porter do so much with only a little - much of GREEN ROOM is set in one room, as punk band the Ain't Rights contend with a group of neo-Nazis led by Darcy (the chillingly good Patrick Stewart, playing very much against type), because the band witnesses a brutal murder of a young girl. Pat (Anton Yelchin) the bassist, tries to think their way out of their situation, while Tiger (Callum Turner) wants to strongarm their way out. Reece (Joe Cole) and Sam (Alia Shawkat) look for any alternative to escape their plight, and Amber (Imogen Poots), friend to the murdered girl, is ready to unleash hell if she has to. All the while, outside the green room, Darcy marshals his forces to deal with these interfering kids once and for all, even as reluctant club manager David (Macon Blair), who has a personal stake in what has happened, can't decide where his loyalties lie.
GREEN ROOM sets the stakes up effortlessly, wasting little time - fifteen minutes into the movie, we are in it, and Saulnier has no qualms about doing what needs to be done to ratchet up the intensity. People die, some in very gruesome ways, and Saulnier elicits reactions from the audience without relying on the expected tropes that we normally see in movies like this. It's clear that Saulnier has studied his John Carpenter - at times, GREEN ROOM feels like Carpenter in his heyday. Siege films like ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 and DOG DAY AFTERNOON are evoked, but Saulnier is putting a personal touch on the proceedings, and GREEN ROOM moves at a brisk pace in its very tight 94 minutes.
GREEN ROOM is an audience pleaser in the best ways - it's strikingly funny, exciting, and gives us characters to root for. I watched the audience a bit in this one, and everyone at key moments was hunched forward in their seats, waiting to see what happened next. GREEN ROOM is a movie to be seen in the theater, for certain. Anton Yelchin is terrific as the bassist who tries to keep it together, and Shawkat, Turner, and Cole all have moments to shine. Imogen Poots, though, becomes one of those iconic badasses that surprises you at every turn - we don't know much of her story, but Poots fills in those gaps quite nicely, and she's also consistently hilarious. Patrick Stewart makes a wildly effective villain - we admire his cold efficiency as much as we loathe him as a person, and I couldn't help thinking of Alan Rickman's turn as Hans Gruber when watching him. Patrick Stewart is scary good.
But through it all, Jeremy Saulnier conducts the proceedings like a master - it's a rare thing when you see a film so sure-footed as GREEN ROOM, with each scene building on the last. Studios, take note - Saulnier is the real deal. Directed with such confidence, acted with such grace, and shot with beautiful, wicked intensity, GREEN ROOM is one of the most exciting, electrifying movies in quite some time. Do not miss it when it opens next year.
Nordling, out.
