So much to like here

Rating: 9/10 (3 July 2016)

As a rule I try to know as little about a film before watching it as possible. The genre and synopsis are typically all I like to know (with rare exceptions where I'm so pumped for a film I can't help reading every detail months in advance). So going into 'Green Room' I knew very little about what to expect. What I had imagined in my mind, and what it actually was like, were two very different things. The film caught me off guard. Not just how good it was, but the impressive style director Jeremy Saulnier managed to achieve.
I hadn't seen either of Saulnier's previous two films (although I see they are both rated very well and intend to check them out) so I was clueless to just what a talent he is. The film does a tremendous job of creating a low-budget, creepy feeling, horror vibe, using almost unknown actors and a simple (but very effective) plot. There is no better way to do horror than this. There's nothing scary about watching big stars with CGI in every scene and a cliché plot line. Watching unknowns in realistic, yet exaggerated, situations on the other hand can be very unsettling.
There's a lot of gore ('Saw' would be proud) and violence a plenty. The story never stalls and there's some really great dialogue in the mix. The thing that proved to me though that Saulnier has a massive future in the film making business is the final scene with the dog. It's rare to see something so moving and beautiful in any modern film, but to find it in a horror movie is just stunning to me. A wonderful movie that is so much more than just your average horror movie.