A shattering film by a brilliant director

Rating: 9/10 (10 July 2019)

Jeremy Saulnier's "Murder Party" and "Blue Ruin" are among personal favorites of mine. "Green Room" further explores Saulnier's theme of ordinary people driven to extreme violence by situations both in and out of their control. It is refreshing to find in "Green Room" that the bad guys are not made to be any more competent at violence than are the victims, nor are they made out to be superhuman, hard to kill, or without fear and reticence. Saunier makes the Neo-Nazis human, not caricatures. He does not make them sympathetic, don't get me wrong, but in making them mere mortals, the film is vastly more interesting and realistic Speaking of realistic, the explicit violence is rendered expertly and has the capacity to effect even the most seasoned horror fans out there. Like Sam Peckinpah, Saulnier makes violent movies for the smart viewer.