What if I told you the guy who made two of the highest rated films on this site just released a new movie?
What if I told you it was a 90s style splatter action / horror?
What if I told you it was an unofficial sequel / prequel to The Guest?
Oh yeah,
Let’s discuss.
Onslaught is a 2026 deep state horror brought to us by writer / director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett. Fair disclosure, I love this guy. I actively seek out his films to watch. I can’t lie, he’s one of my top three filmmakers right now. That doesn’t mean I think everything he makes is gold. He’s had his fair share of stinkers, but his efforts with Barrett at the quill have usually been strong.
The film focuses on Celeste, an army veteran struggling with life after combat. Having served in one of the many Middle Eastern conflicts on the last few decades, she received a purple heart, and was medically discharged. Now, struggling with survivor’s guilt and a healthy share of PTSD, she spends her days as a trailer park superintendent collecting rent from her neighbors and spending any free time she has either at the bottom of the bottle or at the shooting range, sometimes both. When her ex-husband surprises her by dropping off their daughter unannounced, Celeste doesn’t think the day can get any worse. Then a secret government program two miles north of Celeste’s trailer park runs a field test of their new super soldiers, and it goes extremely well. Too well, as the super soldiers kill every person at the base and escape, on a mission of search and destroy. As these highly trained and heavily armed assailants begin cutting down the town in surgical strikes, Celeste must use everything she learned on the battlefield to make her escape and protect her child. Will she find a way to out maneuver the killing machines, or will she just be another body to add to their Onslaught.
This movie is a blast.
However, It might be one of Wingard’s weakest stories. Whereas the guest had an ongoing mystery, we are let in on everything in this film from the get-go. We know what’s happening and what’s going to happen, at least in a scenario context. That doesn’t take away from the incredible set pieces, but it does lessen the impact of the film quite a bit.
There is some mystery attempted, but its extremely shallow in its execution and it ruined the viewing for my viewing partner as it was incredibly cheesy, however my viewing partner failed to understand that this film is an homage to euro-crime classics, known by bowler-hat wearing hipsters as Poliziotteschi. Many filmgoers have been introduced and flooded with great Giallo films from Italy, but fail to realize there were other sub-genres of European grindhouse filmmaking. Eurocrime focused more on rogue cops, vigilante justice, and over the top brutal violence. Severin Films has fantastic box sets available on their website if you’d like to see some of the best.
This is a sequel/prequel to Wingard’s best film: The Guest (IMO).
Filthy Favorite Hall of Fame Member
Dan Stevens = Horror Icon
Which is really frickin’ cool. We get a little peak into where the hero/villain in that film originated from. It’s never stated, but it feels obvious that Dan is another escaped test subject from this program as he exhibited all the powers of these monsters, but was allowed to keep his wits. Which led to him being able to escape in similar fashion, but with different engagement perameters.
The film is shot in a Michael Mann-ish fashion.
With over saturated nights and desaturated daylight, it’s a delight for the eyes. The use of color, or lack thereof to emphasize emotion and personal philosphy is fantastic. The SFX is incredible, especially the effect used on the killer’s eyes. It’s creepy as hell and gives me hope the Killing Heart could be adapted someday. (hold back on the hate mail, I understand my reality)
That’s not to say there aren’t a few clunkers. The final battle with the big bad is incredibly cheesy, and has an almost AI look to many of the shots. There’s an uncanniness to the motion. The slo-mo moments lack the grit and lightening intensity of the rest of the film, almost of if they were reshoots without a budget.
The final 10 minutes looked as if they were shot with a 3D camera.
Carl Fucking Winslow providing cover fire for Eric from Tim and Eric’s Awesome show makes up for it.
To be fair, the cast in this film is mindblowing.
Dan Stevens returns in full prosthetic makeup which makes him nearly unrecognizable, and his wife is played by underappreciated horror icon Rebecca Hall who has starred in two of the highest rates films on the site.
Michael Biehn is as fantastic as always playing a snarky government spook and legit looks like he’s having fun making a movie for the first time in a decade.
However, my favorite character was played by the third Voltaggio brother: Drew Starkey.
Drew Starkey as Michael Voltaggio
You’re telling me this MF wasn’t based on Michael Voltaggio from Food Network?
Grindhouse films normally have an eclectic set of characters, but they don’t often have this level of performance. Every single actor was locked in to their A-game.
The lead actress, Adria Arjona, wasn’t given a ton to work with. She’s the crotchety, young female vet and she plays the role well. She’s not a character that you’re supposed to root for. She’s someone you’re supposed to pity. Her story is told through subtle non-verbals and limited flashbacks, but we get the gist. The depiction of PTSD was respectful and accurate to what I’ve experienced in my time working with veterans and having many combat veterans in my circle. They really tried to make her down to appear more masculine and less attractive to the populous, but Adria has a beauty that can’t be contained. She has that rare talent of catching your attention and refusing to let you look away.
This is action-horror at its stylish peak.
The special effects and action set-pieces are amazing. The practical effects are visceral and the blood looks real. It’s not the bright red of Italian crime films, but the darker more realistic type you’d see in a film by Alexandre Aja. The practical pyrotechnics also were refreshing to see. There are some vintage explosions to be had, and they spared no expense.
It’s Eve of Destruction meets Universal Soldier.
I highly recommend watching this one with a bunch of friends and your favorite legal substances.
It’s a damn good time.
I purchased a copy, but the film is available to rent on all streaming platforms.
