‘GREEN ROOM’ R 1:34
When this movie bites, it goes straight for the throat. I’d rename it “Red Room” if I got the chance. Although much of the action takes place in the green room of an isolated, rundown club lodged in the backwoods of Oregon, this film is brutal, bloody and unforgiving. Let’s just say, the green room doesn’t stay green for long. If the thought of seeing a box knife opening anything but a cardboard box makes you uneasy, then steer clear. Horror and thriller fans are in for a treat, however.
A punk band named “The Ain’t Rights,” that is more bark than bite, reroutes its fledgling tour to a neo-Nazi skinheadinfested venue only to see something the band members can’t unsee. The excellent Anton Yelchin (Chekov in the “Star Trek” reboot) doesn’t front the band but ends up being the leader in a showdown with the coldly calculated Patrick Stewart. Darcy Banker (Stewart) wants them out of the locked green room by any means necessary.
The band is forced to “Home Alone” its way out of the near-hopeless situation. Except in this film, a swinging paint can from the stairs would be the last thing a character sees.
I’m not a horror fan, but I also think ignoring genre labels is important when it comes to seeing an exceptional movie like “Green Room.” What seems like a pretty standard horror film is elevated by the strength of A24 (the production company responsible for “Ex Machina,” “The Spectacular Now,” “Room”), a strong cast and a director who is hungry to prove himself. If you’ve got the stomach for it, this film delivers the goods.
Like the fictional punk band it features, “Green Room” hits you with a burst of energy and volume. This film is an experience — one that’s tough to shake once the credits roll. Dog lovers, stay far away from this one.
Everything is visceral in “Green Room.” Especially the short but beautiful concert scenes, which have more spark and believably than anything you’ve seen in HBO’s “Vinyl.”
Patrick Stewart, Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat and Joe Cole. (Strong brutal graphic violence, gory images, language and some drug content)
If you watched the trailer for “Keanu” — starring Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key of Comedy Central’s beloved series “Key & Peele” — and wondered “is this a real movie?” you’re not alone. In fact, it’s one of the autosearches on Google. But yes, “Keanu” is a real movie, a real funny one at that. At the center of this wild, violent melee between warring drug gangs and assassins is Keanu the kitty, so cute that it seems absolutely worth all the trouble. “Keanu” is hilarious in the way you might expect from Key and Peele, but on a much larger and more grandiose level.
Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Tiffany Haddish, Method Man and Jason Mitchell. (Violence, language throughout, drug use and sexuality/nudity)