Azrael

I got what the film was going for by the end of the film but, seriously, would've been a lot less frustrating had the film actually told us a bit about what was happening before they decided to hit is over the head with it.

The only thing told from the beginning is that everyone is mute, because of the apocalypse and their sins of speech or something like that. That's all you get. Other than that, it's up to the audience to piece together the, once you figure it out, incredibly simple storyline. And it is just that, a simple film. Nothing note-worthy here. Just some decently staged gory moments, and some decent acting. The ending is incredibly predicable, to the point of you knowing what's going to happen long before you get there. It's pretty run of the mill horror here.

Overall, I couldn't recommend spending money on it. It was watchable and kept my interest, but if I had paid for it, I would've been pretty disappointed. It'll be on Shudder for free in no time, just wait for it til then.

2 relious cults out of 5.

If you've seen the previews, you know what it's about already. The film doesn't have any defined story line besides kill and let be killed. If I were in this setting, I would not survive because it seems like you have to be an ultra trail runner to escape bullets and monsters. For those who glut for gore, this is a solid 7/10. If you enjoy slow scare, this is also a solid 7/10. If you've seen plenty of horror films, the ending was predictable that the film is only a 4/10. Am unsure if writers and directors intend for a lesson or symbolisms but this film doesn't reveal any till the very last scene. I can go on about the metaphors but that was not why the film worked in terms of entertainment. It's a typical horror film.

In the aftermath of the Rapture, Azrael (Samara Weaving) and her lover Kenan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) are outcasts from a cult that have renounced the "sin of speech" by surgically removing their vocal chords. When the two are captured by the cult with Azrael sacrificed to the burned creatures that prowl the land she narrowly manages to escape and embarks on a quest of retribution against the cult.

Azrael comes to us from director E. L. Katz and writer Simon Barrett. The film came about as something personal for Barrett as per an interview by Katz with Comic Book Resources, Barrett came from a religiously oppressive upbringing and incorporated that with a dream he had that served as the basis for what would become Azrael. Uncompromisingly brutal and atmospheric, Azrael creates an engaging and immersive experience thanks to a strong lead and an effectively atmospheric world.

While Azrael covers well trodden ground of stories involving aftermath of the Rapture (such as the multitude of unimpressive Left Behind films), Azrael largely acts as a subversion of those films and is less about reaffirming faith with fear and more about creating a twisted world of faith gone wrong to the point it robs its followers (willing or unwilling) of their ability to speak leaving them in a cold unforgiving world without reason or argument. Being a dialogueless film, the actors have to rely more upon facial expressions, action, and suggestion to create character and build the world and they do so quite effectively with Samara Weaving particularly good as the titular Azrael. While the film is relatively small scale and features another visit to the all too familiar location of the woods with many films inspired by the likes of A Quiet Place (such as the recent and underwhelming Never Let Go) I felt it did a good enough job with its creation of the cult compound and the surrounding atmosphere to largely avoid the traps of some other similar films from this year. The movie has an absolutely fantastic ending that pays off the carnage in a memorably disturbing fashion and it made me think of the underrated Gareth Evans horror film Apsotle from 2018 and makes a great companion piece.

I really enjoyed Azrael. While it does cover familiar ground, it also creates a stylish and unique atmosphere and useless the increasingly common "no dialogue" gimmick to solid effect and creates a memorably brutal and engaging ride.

And it leaves a lot up to the imagination. These things do the film no favors. Nothing is explained and that is fine. I guess. But it also keeps the viewer at arm's length. How I am supposed to care about the lead when she is just in one after another of the same situation. Yeah, we get it: she's scrappy.

It was also hard to stay abreast of who was who without names, dialog, etc. I can't even tell you if there was an "us" or a "them".

The movie just seemed there. And it tried to justify its there-ness with the mostly non-verbal contrivance at its core. But while the silence in A Quiet Place has its reasons, I just don't get it here.

Would have made a great short which seems to be the case for alot of these features these days. This film is massively padded out with dross that needs editing out. Found my eyes closing at a couple of moments during the film which is never a good sign, same was said for A Violent Nature. There's a reason no one has told the slasher story like that before and it's because it's a snooze fest.

This looks great on paper and like I said would make a great short but there is nothing in this feature that was new or unique. Mute cults... um sure, Valhalla Rising did this masterfully. Also I did not buy it. These people have supposed to be mute for a very long time yet they exhibit no real form of other communication. It all felt staged. A world not earned or lived in.

I think my biggest gripe is that this film lacks so much clarity. It presents a bunch of questions and answers none.

Some nice gory bits in it but that's about it.