Style’s Onslaught Sinks the Conspiracy
In the world of genre cinema, some films are built on solid foundations, while others are merely smoke and mirrors. The B-movie landscape, often defined by lower budgets and high-octane thrills, has a tendency to survive almost anything thrown at it. Yet, when a film attempts to inject deep meaning into its spectacle, the fun can quickly spiral down the drain.
Director Adam Wingard, known for his work like You’re Next, recently ventured into the hyper-violent thriller genre with Onslaught, aiming to deliver a message. He sought to infuse the film with conspiratorial urges and intense action, utilizing every cinematic style trick in his arsenal to make the story matter.
The film throws a potent cocktail of action, gore, and psychological tension. We follow Celeste, a former military sniper grappling with PTSD and a prickly attitude about the world, who must navigate a chaotic situation when her ex-husband drops by unannounced. She is paired with Josiah, her neighbor, a rugged ex-veteran who provides a surprising anchor in the chaos.
But the true spectacle lies in the ensuing invasion. A trio of genetically altered super-soldiers, designed purely for lethal efficiency, break free from a facility and begin their rampage. The central challenge for Celeste is not just survival, but summoning her maternal instincts to protect her community from this deadly, rogue force.
The supporting story threads—the pursuit led by Cyrus, a cold-blooded operative, and the history of the super-soldiers—are present, but they often feel underdeveloped. The movie struggles to balance the grand, overarching narrative with the immediate, visceral thrills, leaving the supporting plots feeling like mere filler for the main event.
Celeste herself is a formidable character, an anti-Mary Sue who insists on being tough, though her war flashbacks and PTSD tremors feel unearned and derivative. While the film certainly delivers action, the execution sometimes defangs the potential for true, lasting impact. It’s a collision of sharp visuals and messy narrative threads.
Wingard certainly knows how to assemble a visually striking package. The film employs a keen eye for detail and tasty compositions, giving the action a sharp, dynamic edge. The villainous trio are captured in a mesmerizing sequence, culminating in a night fog that washes over the murderous spectacle for maximum dramatic effect.
The film’s opening sequence, replete with imagery referencing former U.S. presidents and Nazi-esque visuals, attempts to inject a layer of conspiracy. However, this conspiratorial glee feels increasingly jarring when viewed against contemporary realities.
Aesthetically, Onslaught leans heavily into the aesthetic of ’80s B-movies, complete with a synth soundtrack reminiscent of John Carpenter. This retro visual palette, while certainly a hoot, shows that style can sometimes overshadow substance when the goal is to convey something truly profound.
Ultimately, while Onslaught delivers on the gore and the action, the overall experience is a complex mix. It offers thrills and some lovingly assembled cinematic moments, but it ultimately proves that style alone is not enough to win the battle against pretension.
The film lands with a rating of 2 out of 5 stars, suggesting that while the spectacle is undeniable, the substance is something that lingers just a little too long.
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