Some films you just have to accept are substance-less, mind-numbing pure entertainment created to keep you glued to your seat. Onslaught, is one of those films, and dare I say, a possible contender for a new cult classic.
Courtesy of A24
Adria Arjona, leads as Celeste , a tough, hardened army sniper, struggling with adapting to civilian life. Set in a rural desert trailer park, Celeste soon finds herself in a battle against a trio of super soldiers who escaped a nearby government facility, killing everyone in their path. Also, in the lineup is icon Reginald Veljohnson, providing some badass support and comedic relief as Vietnam War veteran Josiah. Drew Starkey play Cyrus, another eccentric character adding an unpredictable element to the story.
Cinematically the film offers flickering glimmers of our favorite horror classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Tarantino’s Kill Bill (2003), and even the modern day film You’re Next (2011). The references feel less like direct imitation and more like brief cinematic echoes that give the film a familiar genre texture. Ugh, it feels so good to watch an 80’s B-movie again.
Courtesy of A24
Viewers will find an onslaught (hehe) of violence and gore that rivals its horror influences, making many of the famous horror genre entries look like tame childhood films. And when you’re done dodging the splashes of blood every other minute, you can enjoy the overly gratuitous and unnecessary scenes of a doctor with an apparent boot-licking fetish, and bodacious bodies of women dressed in leather bondage with breasts, butts, and lips out. Honestly, in the age of equality, go ahead and take man-meat out of the freezer and put some on display. Take a note from Jessica Chastain, who famously advocated for greater balance in onscreen nudity. During the production of Scenes from a Marriage, Chastain and her co-star Oscar Isaac reportedly agreed that if one performer was required to expose a particular part of their body onscreen, the other should be held to a comparable standard. It became a pointed example of how intimacy and nudity can be approached with greater fairness between male and female performers. Ugh, Starkey was right there y’all.
This should be a film horror junkies will thoroughly enjoy, and for film connoisseurs , such as myself, A24’s signature creative flair, indie flavor, and artistic vision is stapled throughout the project. If you’ve ventured out to watch, let me know down in the comments.. is it a cult classic?!
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