Putting a creative spin on a “who would win?” story arc by pitting a punk band against white supremacists, director Jeremy Saulnier and A24’s Green Room delivers a tense, hard-hitting experience compacted into a refreshing 95-minute package that excels at sticking to a mostly one-location setting.
At the film’s opening, a four-piece, van-dwelling punk band composed of Pat (Anton Yelchin), Reece (Joe Cole), Sam (Alia Shawkat) and Tiger (Callum Turner), decked out with dyed hair and anarchist tattoos, is seen crashed in a cornfield with an empty gas tank. Not to be stopped mid-tour, the misfit group doubles up on a one-seater bike to siphon gas from a nearby parking lot. It’s a lighthearted take on a mundane issue, but this bleakly humorous opening foreshadows the group’s willingness to do what’s necessary to survive.
After being misled to think they have a prominent show lined up by Tad (David W. Thompson), a mohawked student journalist with the best intentions, the group is rerouted to Tad’s cousin at a rural Oregon bar in hopes of putting on a more promising and profitable performance. The gig takes a brutal spiral as the band witnesses a murder in the green room of the white supremacist hangout, and they soon find themselves being held captive until the head skinhead, Darcy (Patrick Stewart), can resolve the situation.
From the get-go of the conflict, it’s made clear that no cast member is too vital or too likeable to be safe from injury, a refreshingly realistic step away from the stale troupe of leading characters being immune to truly debilitating strife or damage. On the flip side, this decision means that it wouldn’t be wise to become too attached to characters, as they may not live as long as fans would like them to.
Despite Stewart being the most notable cast member, Green Room’s ensemble brilliantly displays a range of emotions while still managing to breathe new life into what could have easily become overused archetypes. Tiger, with his green hair, raggedy clothing and a reserved attitude, embodies the bad-boy persona, but manages to do so without being off-putting or angsty. A frequenter and defector of the supremacist hot spot, Amber (Imogen Poots) begs a resemblance to the spunk and ferocity of Ramona from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, albeit in a significantly more serious situation.
Stewart takes on his untraditional role splendidly as is expected, but he does so in a still-familiar method. As the polite yet brutal leader of the organization, Stewart maintains the composure of a businessman throughout, calculating every variable and paying attention to his bar’s fire codes while juggling his numerous felonies. Regrettably, this demeanor makes Stewart look much like he does in his other calm but stern roles. It would have been interesting to see Stewart take a more hands-on role in the action as opposed to the position of the cool and collected leader we’re so accustomed to seeing from him.
The cinematography of Green Room propels the in-your-face action straight into viewers with up-close and personal shots that keep the action front and center, though the movie is left with little other option seeing how it’s shot almost entirely inside the bar. No punches are pulled when it comes to the violence and gore either; altercations are fast-paced and graphic, and injuries are unapologetically depicted in a way to ensure audiences will want to look away but will keep coming back for more.
One of the only elements Green Room misses the mark on is the score. With the bar setting, and considering the group’s entire identity and purpose for straying so far off the beaten path is that they are a band, the action could have been coupled with chaotic tracks to propel the intensity further. It wouldn’t have to appear forced either; the ragtag survivors employed guerrilla tactics to even the odds, and a disorienting song being blasted over the speakers could have proved both functional and entertaining. With the movie’s poster bearing a clear resemblance to The Clash’s London Calling album—substituting a machete for a guitar—it seems strange that there wasn’t more music incorporated.
Though tense and gut-wrenching throughout, Green Room’s fluidity and progression makes it effortlessly enjoyable. The cast is likable, the conflict is believable and the execution is dramatic and nerve-wracking, though not so much as to deter those who can stomach a bit of gore. With A24’s acclaimed and award-winning The Witch preceding the action-packed Green Room, and with several more movies lined up for this year, it’ll be exciting to see the creativity and style A24 plans to deliver in upcoming films.
