Paramount Pictures
It’s not often you walk into a movie with absolutely no idea what you’re getting into, but Overlord was one of those movies, for me at least. I knew it was a war movie with some horror elements but not much beyond that. And I’m actually happy that I went in a blank slate because this is one of those movies that it’s best to enjoy it as it unfolds without any preconceived notions about it.
In brief, the story of Overlord starts with a plane full of World War II American paratroopers on their way to France to blow up a church tower where the Germans have places a device to jam all radio signals. Without radio signals to the incoming troops, the arrival of the armed forces on Normandy Beach will be impossible, giving the Germans a huge advantage in their desire to overtake Europe and the world. The plane is shot down in a visually amazing scene with just a handful of survivors left to carry out their mission. They come across a young French woman in the forest and she allows them to station at her home, but they have to keep an eye out for the Germans who randomly conduct searches of the homes in the town (and there are also the busybodies who rat out their fellow villagers in exchange for their own well-being).
A German officer, Wafner, also has his eyes on the woman, Chloe, for personal reasons but when he gets a bit to friendly with her one of the Americans, Boyce, can’t stand by and watch, blowing their cover in the process, and forcing his troop mate Ford to take Wafner prisoner. A couple of other Americans, Tibbet and Chase are doing recon, and Boyce finds himself in a sticky situation, having to hide from the Germans by hiding in the back of a truck … full of dead bodies, and then trapped inside the church where he finds out there are some terrifying experiments going on.
You never expect to hear anyone say how well-written a war/horror movie script is, but the script for Overlord is terrific, with some great dialog, a linear plot that has a solid beginning, middle and end, and great characters that aren’t just tired old stereotypes or cinematic tropes. It really is a well-constructed script that serves as a blueprint for a well-directed and edited movie.
Jovan Adepo is the star, Boyce, a guy who really is out of his element in the theater of war. He can’t properly answer a question from his CO, and he has a reputation for being soft (by saving a mouse rather than killing it) that doesn’t sit well with the others, particularly when they all know at some point they will be faced with having to kill someone. No one really wants Boyce as part of their troop, but now they’re stuck with him. Adepo gives a nice performance that shows the characters growth even as the situations become more and more terrifying.
He’s got some great support from Wyatt Russell (Kurt’s son) as Ford, Mathilde Ollivier as Chloe, Pilou Asbæk as Wafner, and Iain De Caestecker as Chase. Aside from Adepo, I have to give a special shout out to John Magaro who plays Tibbet. Tibbet is the no-nonsense New Yorker who takes no guff from anyone and could easily be the character you root for to die. But thanks to the script and a terrific performance from Magaro, you grow to like Tibbet mainly because of the relationship that develops between him and Chloe’s little brother who just attaches himself to Tibbet despite his best efforts to shoo the kid away. It’s a great performance that nearly steals the movie.
As Overlord is set in the 1940s, the production design is top notch for a movie that really didn’t cost a lot, and it’s not just the period buildings and costumes, but the devices and instruments used for the experiments. You just marvel at what went into this knowing someone had to design it all from scratch. And while the story is set during World War II, it does have a very strong horror element to it, gleefully bloody at times, and using a combination of practical and CGI effects and makeup. The horror is at time frightening and at time funny, giving the movie a feel of a cross between Re-Animator and John Carpenter’s The Thing (appropriate with Kurt Russell’s son as one of the stars).
I have to admit that I was totally surprised by Overlord. I thought perhaps it was just going to be schlocky horror but it was obviously a labor of love by everyone involved in its making, and I would have to say it is easily now one of my top ten movies of the year. It’s that good. (My only complaint is the totally out of place rap song over the end credits.) I don’t know what else to say about it except go see it … now!
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