ONSLAUGHT Is a Thrilling Blend of 80s Slasher and B-Action

Onslaught is high-octane cinema. Vicious and eccentric every step of the way. Director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett have teamed up once again to create a film that’s a callback to both 80s slashers, science fiction, and action movies, oozing with a playful B-movie energy.

The film follows Celeste (Adria Arjona), an ex-sniper living in a remote trailer park struggling with PTSD from her time in the army. She’s caught off guard when her ex shows up with their daughter for a weekend visit she was not expecting. But despite her issues, Celeste is a good mom.

Celeste and her neighbor Josiah (Reginald VelJohnson), a fellow veteran, take notice of helicopters arriving at a nearby government facility. But unbeknownst to them, the facility is where a doctor (Dan Stevens) has begun experiments to create super soldiers. And when those soldiers escape, Celeste has to fight back to protect her community and her daughter.

Onslaught is an exciting reunion for Wingard and Barrett, the duo behind films like You’re Next and The Guest, the latter of which this film is set in the same universe as. And the film really takes you on a wild ride through brutal action and tense sequences.

It’s impossible not to see the clear references to horror slashers but with an amplified element of action. The trio of villains is intense, with an unsettling silhouette and eerie, glowy eyes. They feel like militarized versions of Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and Michael Myers, even down to how they stalk and attack their victims.

That 80s influence is present in a lot of what makes up the film. Stylistically, it’s filmed and edited in a way that feels reminiscent, and it doesn’t shy from being a little absurdist at times. It has this amazing synth that pulsates throughout, channeling its best John Carpenter a la Escape from New York.

And I also think the film is saying something in a subtle and not-so-subtle way about how the government uses and abuses our service members. We have our main character who is dealing with PTSD from her service days, as well as another character portraying an older veteran, who is maybe not taking the best care of himself. Both are seemingly forgotten by the institution, despite what they’ve sacrificed.

Of course, also this idea of super soldiers and taking real people, manipulating them into being the perfect embodiment of what the government wants. To wreak the most havoc on communities. And something is jarring about seeing this sort of warfare happening in a very mundane town. I think the gas station sequence, while extremely fun to experience from an action sense, is horrifying when you realize that’s a reality for some people across the world. So I do think that is something in the film that should not be overlooked.

Through all these exciting thrills is a really fantastic cast driving the story forward. Arjona is perfect as our main protagonist and powering through the action, though, VelJohnson absolutely steals the show as Josiah, such pure sarcasm and joy packed into one character you can’t help but love.

Equally impressive is Drew Starkey, an actor I wasn’t familiar with prior, but found to be incredible. He plays this sharp, mysterious special agent who brings some nice comedy in but in a polished sense. I would absolutely love another installment with his character so we can learn more about him. Maybe even with Rebecca Hall‘s character, who was a bit underutilized.

And for Stevens, who previously starred in Wingard/Barrett’s The Guest, eats up the mad scientist role, although it’s a bit too hokey for me at times. But he seems to be having a blast, and it mostly fits with the film’s style.

Onslaught is such a nice blend of slasher and action. It really sweeps you up into its chaos and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I would say my only issue with the film is how it left me wanting even more. It does feel like there’s more to expand on, as I mentioned with Starkey and Hall’s character. And while I love a tight 90-minute runtime, I would have happily stayed in this world for another 30.

Onslaught is in theaters this Friday!