Through the Green Door

Providing us with a window into a more than hairy situation, writer/director Jeremy Saulnier in many ways thrusts us through said glass directly into a predicament that no one would want to be placed in.

The movie is 2015’s Green Room, a horror thriller that follows a struggling heavy metal punk rock band – its members being Pat (Anton Yelchin), Sam (Alia Shawkat), Reece (Joe Cole), and Tiger (Callum Turner), as they learn that their most recent gig has fallen through. Tad (David W. Thompson), a radio DJ, suggests they head to a small secluded club where his cousin Daniel can set up a performance for them.

Desperate, the group, who are running very low on cash, take the tip, making the somewhat lengthy drive into the severely wooded area. More than pleased that they have a paid show, they don’t care that it is at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar, while youthful exuberance even has them daringly perform a cover of Dead Kennedys’ “Nazi Punks Fuck Off”. Though some beer bottles are thrown (clearly pissing off the politically right leaning patrons), things turn out okay, with their original material eventually winning the crowd over.

When finished, they discover that their stuff has been removed from the dressing room, placed unceremoniously in the hallway (surprising, as the event coordinator made a big deal about them not blocking the passageway). Not giving it a second thought, they pack up for another long drive. Sam, realizing that her cell phone has been left charging in the room, has Pat head in to get it.

It is here that things take a more than ominous turn, as Pat, opening the door, tries to take in the chaos found within the green room – a dead body, knife protruding from it, with a distraught girl and a gargantuan man standing in his view. The lady meekly asks for him to call the police, which he does, yet two venue workers, Big Justin (Eric Edelstein) and Gabe (Macon Blair), quickly put a stop to it before too much is revealed.

Forcing the band into the room with the distraught girl, whose name is Amber (Imogen Poots), they are watched by Big Justin while Gabe orchestrates a cover up to mislead the police. Finally, neo-Nazi leader/club owner Darcy (Patrick Stewart) arrives; a wily, intense man with the power to convince his followers to do almost anything.

Whilst inside, the band are able to overpower Big Justin, retrieving a gun in the process. Though they have a weapon and a hostage, things do not look any less precarious. Entering an awkward, through-the-door negotiation with Darcy, will the band be able to talk their way out of the horrific situation, or will things turn violent as they try to fight their way out of their cornered predicament?

A horrific position to be in, to say the least, we the audience are placed in the heart-pounding, fish-out-of-water situation along with the young, unknown band. Like a Russian nesting doll, the group are at the centre, surrounded by a countless number of obstacles. Stuck in a tiny room, surrounded by surly Neo Nazi’s in an off-the-beaten-track club, located in the backwoods of the Northwestern United States, without a phone or vehicle to escape, it is utterly claustrophobic, feeling like death itself is placing its dark clutches around them. Death seems to be represented by Darcy, as the band can only hear his rich British baritone voice. Stewart, revelling in the dark character, brings a sinister, more than creepy gusto to his performance. His voice, though ominous, has the ability to lull you into a false sense of security, like a seemingly kindly villain from an ancient fairytale.

And, like the original iterations of the Grimm folk stories, this is no less frightening. Though there are lengthy times where there is no violence, when it does rear its ugly head, it is brutal and intense. It is by no means sugar-coated, but rather visceral and bloodily real. Even the setting plays an integral part, as the dreary, rainy days of the Northwest add to the depressing spot the band finds itself in.

As the youths contemplate their predicament, there seems to be no good solution. Pep talks feel meaningless – the only thing that feels real is the lighthearted decision to reveal their secret selections for which band they would choose if they could only pick one to bring with them to a deserted island. Perhaps a sign of giving in to fate, but more of a way to bond before what will come on the other side of that locked door, it allows each member to reveal a human side (even Pat, who is unwilling or unable to choose his favourite).

Featuring intense thrills, superlative performances (sadly, this is one of Anton Yelchin’s last – the Star Trek star sadly passed away due to a freak accident last year), effective direction, and some nice cinematography, Green Room is a solid independent film that revels in its punk band versus white supremacist match-up. The film’s poster is also a reference to the film’s rock theme, as it is a clear take on The Clash’s London Calling poster (see both below). So, stop dogging-it; track down this motion picture about these green individuals who are in over their heads and discover whether they’ll make it through the scary night.