(2.5 / 4)
Overlord is loaded with fun and gory B-movie thrills (with impressive cinematography and production design to boot), even if the film leaves little in the way of surprises.
Overlord, directed by Julius Avery, is an American War Horror film, and the mishmash of genres alone should clue the audience into what they can expect regarding the film’s audacious intentions. When the retro title card is displayed at the top of the film’s intro, it is clear that Overlord isn’t shy about its objective to evoke classic B-movie thrills, not unlike Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 double feature team up, Grindhouse. Unlike the exploitative low budget B-movies that served as the film’s inspiration, Overlord is paradoxically filled with impressive cinematography and eye-catching production design (thanks to a healthy dependence on practical effects).
The impressive cinematography is immediately evident during a crash sequence at the film’s onset as we follow a group of U.S. soldiers on the eve of D-Day during World War II. Only 4 soldiers (Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, John Magaro, and Ian De Caestecker) remain after the crash, and they are intent on finishing their mission to destroy a German radio tower in the hope of turning the tide of the war.
After encountering a French scavenger named Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier) and regrouping in her home, the soldiers quickly realize that something is amiss in this French village. Upon witnessing that Chloe’s aunt appears to be a reanimated corpse, it is revealed that the Nazis are performing involuntary experiments on the locals in an attempt to create an immortal army. As a result, the team of soldiers must attempt to complete the already difficult mission with the added complication of facing the horrors that are brewing in the underground Nazi labs.
For a story with such an absurd premise, it is impressive how well the film nails its blend of tones. Despite not being afraid to revel in its inane subject matter, there is actually a substantial amount of dramatic heft to the story, especially towards the film’s climax. This is largely thanks to the group of soldiers providing a great blend of personalities, with each player proving to be likeable enough that you care about their individual fate. There is even a thought-provoking question posed about whether it is necessary to become a monster to effectively combat evil in the world (which cleverly takes on a literal meaning as the film progresses).
Although the film delivers on the gory thrills in spades, Overlord’s story is devoid of surprises for the most part. Considering the film was initially reported as being part of the Cloverfield universe, this seemed to imply that there would be copious twists and turns regarding the magnitude of the secret Nazi experiments. Instead, Overlord is exactly what it is purporting itself to be. A film about supernatural zombie experiments set during WWII. While it seems a bit unfair to knock a film for delivering on precisely what is claiming to be selling, I personally was hoping for a twistier narrative in which I had no clue where it would go next (ala Cloverfield or 10 Cloverfield Lane).
Despite being more conventional than I had hoped, Overlord is a ton of fun and is quite simply the best WWII movie to feature zombies. If you’re in the mood for some brainless gory shenanigans in the midst of the current movie offerings, it’s definitely worth enlisting for this film.
