Locally directed ‘Green Room’ thrills

For those of you who were too busy last week watching “The Jungle Book” reboot or the “Ratchet & Clank” reboot or the “Snow White” remake of the reboot reimagined in Imax 3D, there was actually a real gem of a film that came out with a much more limited release, “Green Room.” From writer/director Jeremy Saulnier comes a thriller about a punk rock band trying to hold out against a group of really angry white supremacists. It stars Anton Yelchin and Patrick Stewart in the leading roles, making this the single greatest Star Trek crossover movie of all time.

Despite what sounds like a pretty cliché plot, Green Room is anything but ordinary. All of the characters are intelligent yet realistic, its use of practical blood effects is stunning, and it maintains a very fast-paced and tense atmosphere through its entire runtime.

Sometimes the characters are so intelligent, it surprised me. For instance, there is a scene early on where a character walks into a place he isn’t supposed to be and witnesses a horrific crime in progress. In most films like this, the character would sit there dumbfounded while the antagonist gets the upper hand. In this film, however, the character immediately whips out his phone and calls the police without a moment’s hesitation, managing to spout out the address and situation to the cops before anyone can take the phone away from him. This one moment, alone, already puts the movie higher than anything Blumhouse Productions has ever put out, but the film is filled to the brim with moments just as clever and satisfying, making this easily the best of its type I have seen in a long time.

The only problem I have with the film, and it is a minor one, is that sometimes the dialogue is a little difficult to make out. A few more tweaks at the sound mixing board certainly wouldn’t have hurt. However, the movie is still extremely easy to understand, and I have no doubt that many people will hardly notice it as they watch.

It is really a shame that this film does not have a wider release, but the travel distance to your local independent theater is a small price to pay for such an amazing experience. I recommend that everyone who hasn’t seen Green Room yet, and isn’t too squeamish about blood, should go out and watch it right away.

Heck, even if you have already seen it, watch it again! It’s that good.

Overall 5/5.

Advocate Staff