Tension galore

Rating: 9/10 (15 April 2016)

"Green Room" follows a vagabond punk band traveling through Oregon, where they book a show at what they come to find out is a neo-nazi skinhead punk club. The show goes well enough, but after they become witnesses to a murder, the group—along with a female regular at the club— are held hostage at the instruction of the community's head honcho.
I went into "Green Room" with little expectations, unsure of what exactly to expect; I'd heard good things about it, and the fact that it was filmed in the area I grew up in further piqued my interest. The film undoubtedly deserves the critical and public attention it's gotten, especially from horror fans, though I'm hesitant to necessarily label it a "horror" film. It's more a suspense-thriller akin to something like "Panic Room," except with a starkly different setting and a group of twenty-something punksters in place of the family home invasion prototype.
What is perhaps most jarring about the film is that its entire premise springs out of a wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time scenario that spirals entirely out of control. The script and direction lend an increasing oppressiveness that comes on like a vice grip; the audience can easily sympathize with the arbitrariness of the entire premise, and the claustrophobic sense of inescapability is well-drawn out on screen. The film is nicely shot with emphasis on darkness and its titular color, and the photography of the landscapes effectively capture the ominousness of rainy Oregon backcountry.
Solid performances from all involved further elevate the film. For a film that's plot is so constricted, the material demands solid performers, and we get that from the young cast, with Patrick Stewart effectively playing counterpoint as the aloof villain-in-charge with an army of intimidating henchmen. The film's finale is extremely effective, and, barring a few convenient plot devices, is more or less believable.
Overall, "Green Room" was one of more tense experiences I've had at the movies in quite awhile. The way writer/director Jeremy Saulnier is able to spin such an arbitrary, unfortunate situation into an oppressive, character-driven splatter thriller is remarkable. It may not be enough to turn off punks from their waking-up-in-urine-and-beer lifestyle, but it's enough to make any prospective venues in the Pacific Northwest backwoods seem at the very least questionable. A recommended nailbiter. 9/10.