Uncovering Curiosities: Jeremy Saulnier’s GREEN ROOM

Jeremy Saulnier’s 2015 thriller, Green Room is like a punk song (keep with me here) – it’s hard, fast and a violent thriller which packs a powerful punch. This is an edge of your seat modern day exploitation film, filled with gore and violence. It’s not always easy to watch (especially if you’re squeamish), but it does entertain and it will likely find a cult audience in years to come.The film sees a punk band trapped in the errr…green room of a neo-Nazi infested bar after they see something they weren’t supposed to. The Nazi’s want in, the band want out – something’s gotta give.

The most interesting thing about Green Room is the eclectic cast. The cast of Star Trek past and present collide and they go where they haven’t gone before. Patrick Stewart plays against type as the neo-Nazi leader who is eager to resolve the bloody situation, while the late Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots play two of the unlucky people trapped in the bar that level-headed politics forgot. They’re all very good in their roles and they sell their characters and their situations.

Jeremy Saulnier really knows how to create tension, building it from the outset. In fact, Green Room is structured like a horror film, letting you get to know the characters before dropping them into the worst hell imaginable. It’s this skill which keeps things on track when the plot veers too far to the edge of ludicrousness.

Green Room was never meant as film for the masses, but it will surely find a well deserved audience on the DVD circuit – but be warned – it’s not for the faint hearted!