Overlord (2018)

Title: Overlord

Year: 2018

Genre: Action | Adventure | Horror |

Runtime: 110 min

Director: Julius Avery

Starring: Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier

6,9/10                  

A small group of American soldiers find horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day.

A MODERN 40s SCARY MOVIE

As a real film nerd, I’m nostalgic for the good old movies who have set and inspired the standard for today’s film industry. Even though there are lots of genuine criticism for many of today’s productions companies and their “fast money” mentality, we must admit movies have evolved since its beginnings. I love to see a modern film giving homage to 1940’s film era, a time their movie not only were a tool for creative expression but also a way for countries in wartimes sharing their ideological thinking and experience in the field (real and propaganda), which were for some sweet victory and others tragic demies. This were also a time there the monster genre really starts to mass produce, we had movies like the Dracula film series rising to its peak. This were also time genres were crossing over, for example horror and comedic in the 1948 movie Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein. This time it’s a modern zombie story played out in the setting of the D-day invasion, a real lovely premise I must say.

I really love the story where we are following this unfortunately American soldier, who just want to be home, being unwillingly dragged into this war, French invasion and crazy Nazi zombie experiment. A good protagonist that we really understand, feel for and get to know organically. I really like them in his invasion team too, even those who are only there to die, some are stereotypical 40’s characters but others get really three-dimensional. This do not include the movie’s antagonist Nazi general Wafner, but that’s fine, he is just enjoyably crazy with his plan to build an evil zombie army. I also love that the story plays out mostly in this village in the forest.

All the actors did a good job with the acting. I think it’s because the tone is supposed to be like a 1940’s war film giving homage to era, so the actors never had to give biblical monolog or overdramatic fight scene like Saving Private Ryan (1998). But the ensemble still gives their all and sets a deeper perspective to their characters, from their introduction to the big last fight scene.

The production overall was great, the scenography, effects, editing and so forth. The movie sets the tone directly by having the title card over a group of flying warplanes. The setting is enough realistic we as the audience really get invested in the story. The effects weren’t what I expected, I didn’t think it would be so much of it or be so good. It didn’t push any boundaries in filmmaking, but it was far better than the CGI in for example The Thing (2011). Like I said in the beginning; a modern zombie film playing out in a 1940’s setting. It has its cheesy moment with some of the events and dialogue but if you are like me, nostalgic for the old times, you mostly look past it or even enjoy it.