Saulnier triumphs, yet again.

Rating: 9/10 (28 June 2016)

Those not familiar with Jeremy Saulnier's small body of work, he hit his stride with 2013's Blue Ruin (after a very cult film Murder Party), showing his hand when it came to noir coupled with a knack for making a tense and effective revenge film come to life with dark filters and mood altering story telling.
This time around, the gloves come off a bit more with a slightly claustrophobic and effective edge of your seat hybrid of a bloody stand-off and a fight for survival film.
This film takes me back to, not necessarily "barebones" film-making, but maybe Saulnier's minimalist touches that he gives off in his latest film purvey into a perfect bit of cinema for the viewer that has grown weary of "block busters", overblown sets, massive production and reliance on CGI.
Young punk outfit (The Ain't Rights) gets a tip to play a gig at a backwoods gig. Simple enough preface, but holds your interest.
Character development is minimal yet effective enough to make you give a sh** about the group as they are held after inadvertently witnessing a stabbing.
Elements of dread are not limited to the backwoods, darkly lit club..and certainly don't stop at the Far Right militant skinhead/heroin vibe that culminates with the club owner (Patrick Stewart, in a somewhat surprising, yet effective role) as the leader of the "group" holding the Ain't Rights backstage after the unfortunate event takes place.
Macon Blair (Blue Ruin) is back and effective as a actually likable character once he realizes things have gone too far. Anton Yelchin and Stewart are the big names here and hold their own. Some solid acting, extremely tense moments within the constraints of such a small setting are pulled off with ease. The film never feels "small". The violence is graphic and paced/edited for maximum effect. It's there, and Saulnier is going to show it to you.
Kudos for the underground scene being used in a film like this, as well as the mentions and shout outs to some of the best of the multi-genres of music mentioned.
Keep making movies on your grounds Jeremy. Solid 9 rating.