Overlord (2018)

ORIGINAL TITLE: Overlord
DIRECTOR: Julius Avery | GENRE: Action Horror, Mystery
CAST: Wyatt Russell, Bokeem Woodbine, Pilou Asbak
RUNTIME: 109 minutes | YEAR: 2018 | COUNTRY: USA

MOVIE PLOT:
On the night of D-Day, a squad of soldiers is sent deep into Nazi-occupied France to pull off one final mission. Once they're on the ground, they stumble upon a secret lab where the Nazis are running these absolutely twisted experiments on local villagers. All their combat training didn't prepare them for this nightmare—they have to try and save the world from an even bigger threat: a squad of genetically enhanced Super Soldiers!

So I watched this yesterday and honestly, I wasn't exactly blown away... it was okay, I guess, but definitely didn't live up to the hype I had in my head.
It kicks off with such intensity, and you’re sitting there with these huge expectations during the first fifteen minutes, but then everything just kind of deflates into this massive middle section where nothing really happens... it feels like a lot of filler. Plus, I feel like they totally wasted the whole setup with the tower and those creepy experiments the Nazis were doing to make those super soldier/zombie things. We barely even see them! Maybe if this was meant to be the start of some big franchise—since the ending is open enough for that—I would’ve respected it a bit more as a pilot for a series... but as it stands?
It's a decent watch, but nothing special... just a mediocre flick.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein. 🎉

This is an excellent movie to catch on the big screen.

That first trailer is killer. Looks like a blast, unless of course they just fronted us with all the good stuff and the actual movie ends up being a total snooze fest.

Pretty much, yeah...

Looks pretty solid. 🍿

I really enjoyed the movie; it was a great ride. My only real gripe was how much tension I spent waiting for something—anything—to happen with Chloe and Paul's aunt. I was constantly on edge because our protagonists were stuck in the same house as this woman sick in her room, and I kept expecting her to lash out at them or maybe even at the Germans arriving at the house. But then, what? Absolutely nothing from her. It was like she didn't even exist by the end. I even sat through the credits hoping for a post-credits scene to tie up that loose end, but nope... nothing. Is there a sequel in the works, or was that just a wasted subplot?

Roger Cooper91 said:I actually really enjoyed the movie; it was quite a ride. My only real gripe was the buildup regarding Chloe and Paul's aunt. I spent the entire runtime tense, worrying that our protagonists being stuck in the same house as her—while she was sick in her room—would lead to her attacking them or the Germans arriving at the house. I kept waiting for some kind of confrontation, but in the end, she just vanished from the plot entirely. I even stayed through the credits hoping for a post-credits scene involving her, but nothing... Is there any word on a sequel?

There won't be a sequel because the movie flopped at the US box office.

Look, whether it actually happens or not isn't even the point here. The real question is: did they factor in a sequel from the jump, or was this just a massive oversight?

Everything seems perfectly fine until that German guy gets stabbed in the face with a needle after his injury....from that moment on, it’s just some kids' movie

It’s been a minute since I sat through something this bad and just plain boring. And of course, because it had to happen, they made a Black man the lead in a movie set during WW2.

Such a great movie.

Did that stuff ever make it over to Georgia's video rental shop?

Yes.

Honestly, such a snooze fest—I was really expecting way more from this one. It kicks off strong, but then they try to flesh out the characters and just... fail? I didn't end up caring about anyone. Even Euron Greyjoy at the end felt so over-the-top as a villain that he actually became the most interesting part of the whole thing.
There are a few solid scenes toward the end, super bloody and shot really well, but a lot of it is just so predictable. It just didn't grab me.
It’s okay, worth a watch if you have nothing else to do, a decent effort, but better luck next time.
I honestly feel like this director is much better than the script he was handed.

Look, I’ll give you this: the pacing takes a massive hit once they enter the house/village, and that middle stretch is pretty rough. But honestly? That doesn't change the fact that we're looking at a seriously impressive piece of work here.

Because, man,

the visuals are just stunning. The whole look of the movie—I'm talking cinematography, costumes, makeup, production design, special effects, and those SOUNDS 🙏—is top-tier. It’s got this stylized, almost comic-book, fairy-tale vibe going on. The casting? Spot on. Even the camera work, all those angles and framing choices... just excellent.

If I had to nitpick, maybe the script could've leaned harder into some Nazi undertones—like, have him go on an official inspection trip so he actually gets screwed over by those creatures. I think that would've given the story more "weight" or scope, you know?

The whole thing reminded me a lot of the awesome The Horde (2009). I guarantee anyone who dug this will dig that one too.

That track (the end credits song) is also heavy—super modern, youthful, and unapologetically American, just like the film itself.

All in all, I'm stoked.

4🙂1

Even without the fantasy elements, this thing would have worked perfectly fine as a gritty war thriller in the vein of "in the eagle's nest." The zombies are just an awesome little extra. I really dig how the movie takes its time to build up—the filmmakers don't go out of their way to wink at the audience or signal that they're making some obvious trash; they play it completely straight. (It was the same vibe with "Mandy," which I loved.)
The main guy alongside the Black man is—well, he's Kurt Russell's son, and he actually does a pretty solid job channeling his old man.
The whole thing is lean and mean—definitely worth a watch.

I honestly don't think we're dealing with your run-of-the-mill, brain-eating zombies here

Patrick Martin said:I don't think we're dealing with your typical zombie trope here

Nah, but without giving too much away...

The whole movie really gave me vibes of that old cult classic—Call of Duty.

Basically, if you look at the plot, it’s this weird mashup of "Saving Private Ryan," "Where Eagles Dare," and Call of Duty.

Honestly, this movie was an absolute blast. I’d easily give it an 8.5 out of 10—it’s straight-up genius. ^^ 🙂 Seriously, such a fun ride.