By Mason Leaver
The small-scale-thriller is a genre that has been thoroughly explored in the last twenty years. From psychological thrillers like Memento (Nolan, 2000) or Shutter Island (Scorsese, 2010), or closed room thrillers like Saw (Wan, 2004), or Buried (Cortés, 2010) audiences have seen many takes on the small-scale-thriller. It’s hard to have a new thriller come out without being able to simply compare it to a previous film. Jeremy Saulnier’s 2015 release Green Room attempts to bring something new to the genre, and does so successfully. Green Room is a gruesome locked room thriller, focusing on a punk-rock band that must fight of Neo-Nazi’s, offering an entirely original and entertaining take on a well explored genre.
Green Room focuses on an indie punk-rock band that is struggling to make ends meet. After taking an odd gig to try to scrape by, they quickly realize that the venue is run by Neo-Nazis. After the gang witnesses a terrible act of violence, and are locked in the venue’s green room, they quickly realize that they are the next ones to be killed. The rest of the film is a game of cat and mouse as the band attempts to escape, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Green Room focuses on an indie punk-rock band that is struggling to make ends meet. After taking an odd gig to try to scrape by, they quickly realize that the venue is run by Neo-Nazis. After the gang witnesses a terrible act of violence, and are locked in the venue’s green room, they quickly realize that they are the next ones to be killed. The rest of the film is a game of cat and mouse as the band attempts to escape, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots in "Green Room"
Green Room is directed by Jeremy Saulnier, the director of Blue Ruin (2013), another small scale thriller. Saulnier takes the best elements of his last movie to inspire this one. The action is brutal and gruesome; Saulnier does not hold back, nor does he leave anything to the imagination. There were times when I felt the need to look away from the screen, but Saulnier keeps you engaged with the story because of how much we care for the characters. And just like Blue Ruin, the main characters of Green Room feel realistic, but they often make decisions which, as an outside spectator, can feel frustratingly stupid.
The performances in the film are all solid. Patrick Stewart portrays the main antagonist, the Neo-Nazi owner of this venue. He’s despicable, and you’ll love to hate him. The other stand out performance in the film comes from Anton Yelchin. Yelchin gives a convincing, desperate, and hard to watch performance as the protagonist, in one of his last roles before his tragic death. Yelchin portrays his character’s descent from an easygoing punk-rocker to a brutal survivalist well; we understand his pain and sorrow, and also his determination.
The performances in the film are all solid. Patrick Stewart portrays the main antagonist, the Neo-Nazi owner of this venue. He’s despicable, and you’ll love to hate him. The other stand out performance in the film comes from Anton Yelchin. Yelchin gives a convincing, desperate, and hard to watch performance as the protagonist, in one of his last roles before his tragic death. Yelchin portrays his character’s descent from an easygoing punk-rocker to a brutal survivalist well; we understand his pain and sorrow, and also his determination.
Patrick Stewart as Darcy in "Green Room"
Saulnier has a very detailed approach to storytelling, and he shows this both through the decisions of the characters as well as the shot execution. The protagonists consistently make detail oriented (though not always logical) decisions, which keeps their motivations and actions feeling realistic. The antagonists are even more detail oriented, almost obsessively so. And this attention to detail is reflected in the cinematography. Each cut feels extremely intentional, each one showing some new piece of information or communicating something new about the scene. What feels like a random shot early in the movie may come back later to explain another detail.
Perhaps the most impressive and interesting aspect of Green Room is its use of tone and pacing through cinematic language. The beginning of the film feels gentle, lighthearted and simple; a day in the life of a struggling indie band. This is reflected in the cinematography and pacing of the first scenes: sun shining through windows, band members sleeping soundly in their van, soft lighting on their faces as the camera’s focus fades in and out. Music is minimal and soft in the background. The film is taking its time. But as the plot progresses and the stakes are raised, the lighting takes on a sickening green, and the music becomes loud punk rock, sometimes so loud it muffles dialogue. We descend into madness with the band, from a happy and simple place into a gruesome, horrifying and stressful nightmare.
Green Room is a high energy and fun action film, though it can sometimes be very gruesome. Though it can be difficult to watch, the film keeps the audience engaged with its masterful use of tone and pacing, always keeping us on the edge of our seats. While it doesn’t ask much of its audience in terms of interpretation or subtext, Green Room is full of solid performances and a gripping plot.
Perhaps the most impressive and interesting aspect of Green Room is its use of tone and pacing through cinematic language. The beginning of the film feels gentle, lighthearted and simple; a day in the life of a struggling indie band. This is reflected in the cinematography and pacing of the first scenes: sun shining through windows, band members sleeping soundly in their van, soft lighting on their faces as the camera’s focus fades in and out. Music is minimal and soft in the background. The film is taking its time. But as the plot progresses and the stakes are raised, the lighting takes on a sickening green, and the music becomes loud punk rock, sometimes so loud it muffles dialogue. We descend into madness with the band, from a happy and simple place into a gruesome, horrifying and stressful nightmare.
Green Room is a high energy and fun action film, though it can sometimes be very gruesome. Though it can be difficult to watch, the film keeps the audience engaged with its masterful use of tone and pacing, always keeping us on the edge of our seats. While it doesn’t ask much of its audience in terms of interpretation or subtext, Green Room is full of solid performances and a gripping plot.
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