Overlord Review: 4 Ups & 4 Downs
So, is it a Cloverfield movie after all?
The long-gestating J.J. Abrams-produced war-horror film Overlord finally lands in cinemas this week, and despite murmurs of a tumultuous post-production process, the end result is a mostly decent if relatively unremarkable effort.
Critics have been pretty generous with their praise so far, rightly lauding the film's dumb, unpretentious thrills even if some have (also rightly) taken umbrage with its glaring screenplay issues.
To be clear, this isn't at all a movie you need to catch in cinemas, and it'll probably be just as enjoyable watched at home on VOD a few months from now, but given its fairly low level of ambition, solid style and talented cast, it's a pretty tough film to dislike all too much.
Could it have been better? Absolutely, and it's a shame Abrams wasn't able to whip the end product into leaner shape, but if you're craving some gory schlock amid all the awards-baiting fare hitting screens at the moment, Overlord basically delivers the goods...