Life on the road as a member of a touring band has more than its fair share of hassles. Between promoters who welch on promised fees, finding lodging, the untold arduousness of basic transportation, and the infrequency of showers, it can take a toll on a body. But that all pales in comparison to the violent nightmare that befalls punk outfit the Ain’t Rights, the unlucky bastards who end up smack-dab in the middle of the fracas that fills out Jeremy Saulnier’s brilliant new thriller, Green Room.
The rockers (who include Alia Shawkat of Arrested Development and more recently Broad City, as well as Star Trek‘s newest Chekov, Anton Yelchin) hesitantly agree to play a gig at a confirmed Nazi clubhouse. After seeing some things they shouldn’t, the blood starts flying. Revealing any more than that would be a disservice to those readers who haven’t had the chance to see the film during its runs at the Cannes and Toronto film festivals.
What’s safe to know now, and what the newly released trailer above smartly focuses on, is the delectably calm violence of Patrick Stewart’s character. Playing against type as the bespectacled, merciless leader of the gang that torments the Ain’t Rights, Stewart’s character practically murders the audience’s memories of Charles Xavier and Jean-Luc Picard and then buries them six feet underground. He makes for an unforgettable villain — simultaneously furious and reserved, malicious but mindful of dirtying his hands, sophisticated but savage.
Upstart studio A24 is going to do its darnedest to ensure that the public is aware of this genre gem before its April 15 release date. Having already seen it, however, allow me to personally add my voice to the chorus of praise for Green Room right now. This thing hauls ass.
