Gripping stuff

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 2017)

Green Room starts out with a quick but pretty accurate portrayal of a small-time punk band on the road, bouncing from bad gigs to worse gigs. One gig has them playing in front of a gathering of backwoods skinheads (opening with a cover of Nazi Punks F**k off, no less.) And while their gig, in spite of its provocative opening, goes well, soon enough events happen that will make the night turn into a nightmare...
And it's probably better not to say more. Green Room is a horror movie without all the hinges and tropes of horror movies. It builds tension at an uneven pace, throwing fits of crude, frontal violence at your face when you expect it less. And that's the horror this movie builds up to. An escalation of violence that leaves nobody intact. The use of space and unassuming direction seal the deal of a tough movie that stays with you. Needless to say, not for the faint of heart.
Patrick Stewart, of course, is the casting's main attraction. And as usual, he does a stellar job, portraying an ordinary, scary monster. A guy that could be your friendly neighbour, if it wasn't for...
So Green Room is a gritty, realistic horror movie, well directed and acted. Its off-kilter pace, while it could be seen as a flaw, serves the purpose of telling a story that doesn't attempt to embelish its violence or make it fun. If you're in for the ride, it might leave you a little punch-drunk.