Coming to theaters on Friday, September 27, 2024 is the horror film Azrael.
The film stars Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Femme).
The film was directed by E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills) and written by Simon Barrett (You’re Next).
I am not sure if the film is set in a futuristic time or not, but no one speaks (there is one exception).
A young woman (Weaving) and her boyfriend are captured in the wood by members of a cult-like community. She is used as a sacrifice for some human-like creatures that feed on human flesh and blood. The community hopes that using her as a sacrifice will pacify the evil entities.
She is able to escape, but the people from the community hunt her down and will stop at nothing to bring her back and finish her off as their sacrifice. Not only is she being hunted by the community members, but she is also being chased by the evil creatures that reside in the forest.
It’s a game of cat and mouse, and a race against time because she wants to find her boyfriend and help him to escape before it’s too late.
In the end, who will win? Will she be able to find her boyfriend and they both escape with their lives? Or will the community succeed in sacrificing her to appease the evil creatures? To find out, go see Azrael. Look for it at a theater near you on Friday, September 27, 2024.
Okay… I have a lot to say about this film.
I think Weaving did an outstanding job in this film. Even though she doesn’t say a word, you can tell exactly what she is thinking and feeling simply by looking at the expression on her face. She conveys her thoughts and feelings perfectly just with his big eyes and facial expressions.
I love the location where this film was shot. Normally movies set in the woods are dark and creepy. There were times the woods in this film were beautiful and inviting. Of course at other times it was dark, foggy and scary.
First and foremost, I wish the film gave some indication as to when this movie was taking place. Is it in the present? In the future? Was there some apocalyptic event that took place?
No on talks in this film. I believe it has something to do with religion since religious quotes are seen here and there throughout the film, but not even their screams make much sound. When someone does scream is sounds like they don’t have tongues, and their screams are very quite.
There is one man who does speak in this film, but he speaks a foreign language (no subtitles). He’s only in the film for about three minutes at best. You also do not need to know what he’s saying exactly. You can pretty much guess what he’s saying. But why can he talk but no one else?
There is a lady who lives in a decaying church who is pregnant, always wears white and spends her days drawing odd pictures around a hole in the wall. Who is she exactly? Who is the father of her child?
Don’t get me started on the child. WOW… I didn’t see THAT coming. Let’s just say the child has a very “unique” appearance.
I’m a fan of the horror movie genre, and I have seen my fair share of horror movies. It takes A LOT to impress me, and I rarely ever get scared. As far as the scare factor is concerned, this film didn’t scare ME, but I can see there are some spots here and there that would leave some shaking in their shoes.
The monsters are pretty cool. They look like humans that were burnt to a crisp. They also walk like they are zombies (but there was a scene where they seemed faster).
If you don’t like blood and guts, then you might want to skip this film. There is a lot of blood and flesh being ripped off people’s bodies who are still alive. There was also a scene involving intestines.
The story left me a big confused with so many unanswered questions. As far as the horror aspect (the monsters, the gross scenes), I enjoyed that and found those parts to be entertaining (in a sick way).
I liked this film, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if my questions were answered to make more sense out of the story.
This film is rated R and has a run time of an hour and twenty-five minutes.
Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
