Jeremy Saulnier’s debut writing/directing effort was BLUE RUIN (which I gave 5 stars). This one continues to exhibit his ability to craft an original approach to dark suspense. Anton Yelchin plays a member of a touring punk band. He ends up witnessing something bad backstage after a gig at a gathering place for neo-Nazis. The group is first confused, then terrorized as the club’s owner (Patrick Stewart) tries to deal with their inconvenient presence. Even before things go horribly wrong, the characters are compelling and the sense of dread starts to creeps in. While not resorting to expected results (or excessively explicit violence), the tension builds steadily. It’s not as original as his original film, but it still effectively maintains suspense and ups his promise as a new master of the genre.
(4 / 5)