David’s Download: Onslaught Review

This past week, I had the pleasure of catching an early screening of A24’s new action-horror flick Onslaught!

Quick Side Bar on Early Screenings

Before sharing my thoughts on the movie, I need to profess my love for early screenings, especially ones to which members of the press are invited. It’s refreshing to watch a movie with a full auditorium of people who are respectful and actually care about what’s happening on the screen. (Or perhaps the people who usually cause disruptions are just scared they will get thrown out, since early screenings typically have a studio rep present to enforce theater etiquette.)

I say this because The Drive Home recently had a negative experience at a matinee of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, where an entitled parent brought their six-month-old baby to the showing. (That’s right… six months old!!!) Even after notifying a manager about the parent’s failure to quiet their infant’s constant whining, nobody came to check on our auditorium.

So, to any movie studio publicists or well-connected industry folks that may stumble across this blog, pretty pretty please add The Drive Home crew to the invite list for your early screenings. We are tired of disruptions at our usual AMC in Lincoln Park, Chicago. End rant.

Onslaught Review

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way… let’s dive into Onslaught, starring Adria Arjona as a badass mom and Army veteran named Celeste, who must protect her daughter and neighbors from a trio of deadly super-soldiers that escaped from a nearby military base.

The high-concept story is nothing groundbreaking, but the brisk runtime and Arjona’s committed performance should be enough to keep audiences locked in.

For the first 45 minutes or so, Adam Wingard’s direction feels a bit dour and inert. The scenes at the military base come across as too self-serious, and there isn’t anything fun about seeing dozens of helpless civilians gunned down inside a gas station. Perhaps this scene hits too close to home during a time when mass shootings are tragically occurring far too often in the US.

However, the movie finds its groove and a more palatable tone once the genetically enhanced soldiers make their way to Celeste’s stomping grounds. The motley crew of trailer park residents actually put up a fight against the killers, and Wingard sprinkles in some moments of levity. The second half plays more like a grindhouse thriller from the 70’s or 80’s, and Arjona brings plenty of gravitas. A third act twist also wins the storyline some extra points.

While the 90-minute runtime is appreciated, a couple more unique set pieces beyond the gas station and trailer park could have elevated Onslaught to greater heights. Nonetheless, A24’s latest is not a bad way to spend an hour and a half on a Thursday night!