Green Room

With little gas in the tank and even less money in their pockets, the young punk band Ain`t Rights just barely makes it to a gig at a pub somewhere in American no-man's land. It`s not a big gig in front of a not very pleasant audience, but when it comes to a possible fee, the band can`t be choosy. And so they then deliver a decent gig in front of a bunch of Nazis. Afterwards they just want to get their money and their stuff and leave. But unfortunately they become involuntary witnesses of a murder. And now they are not allowed to leave the green room of the pub - supposedly to give a statement to the already called cops. But instead, Darcy Banker (Patrick Stewart), the leader of the Nazi gang, shows up. And he sees the young musicians as a danger that must be eliminated at all costs. Together with skin girl Amber (Imogen Poots), the punk musicians barricade themselves in the small backstage room and a merciless fight for survival begins.

Green Room is a nasty, dirty little thriller that serves up its rather simple-minded story with plenty of well-crafted shock moments and a fair amount of dark humor. The siege scenario is strongly reminiscent of the John Carpenter classic Assault by Night, but gets its very own twist here. Director Jeremy Saulnier creates a very special atmosphere of menace, intensified both by the secluded location of the pub, and by the demeanor of the Nazi gang over and over again. The code they follow is only explained in passing, as is the background to the murder and the apparently illegal dealings this gang is involved in. Thus, a lot of questions arise, which are only answered to a limited extent. This could be seen as a weakness of the movie. But since the viewer is supposed to feel as helpless and clueless as the young musicians, the feeling of hopelessness and the unpredictability of the enemy is rather intensified.

The actors are all well cast, but Patrick Stewart really stands out as the ice-cold alt-Nazi. He's so wonderfully evil here that you completely forget about all his sympathetic roles from Captain Picard to Professor Charles Xavier. Stewart hits just the right tone that makes his character terrifying while not letting him become an over-the-top caricature. This also allows Saulnier to use humor laced with bitter cynicism time and time again, without his film taking on comedic overtones or diminishing the tension for even a second. Until the successful end, one is captivated as a viewer and is still really well entertained.

Green Room is evil, sometimes very bloody and also a little surprising. A very successful genre film, which convinces with a mixture of old-school motifs, exciting thriller elements and crude slasher interludes. Nothing for the faint-hearted, but for fans who don't want to get goosebumps from paranormal activities or haunted houses, it's definitely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp