The title Overlord alludes to Operation Overlord, which was the massive invasion force assembled at Normandy. With that context, writers Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith deliver heart pulsing science fiction set within the framework of the D-Day invasion. Both writers have written for films that I have been blown away by, including The Revenant and Captain Phillips. I didn't have high expectations for this film, based partially on the hype that has surrounded it in recent weeks. I was pleasantly surprised. I watched this film last night at the AMC IMax theater for the full experience.
Boyce (Jovan Adepo) was home, moving his lawn three months ago. Currently, he finds himself aboard an aircraft with the 101st Airborne. His unit has been tasked with taking out a communications jamming tower so that allied aircraft can provide coordinate air support to the landing at Normandy. His aircraft comes under heavy fire, leading to a chaotic deployment of the troops who manage to hook up, buckle up and shuffle to the door. His less-than-ideal landing has at least place him relatively close to the objective, although it is in a heavily patrolled area. He manages to rally with three other survivors from his unit. The small crew is led by Cpl Ford (Wyatt Russell) and includes a smartass named Tibbet (John Magaro) and a photographer (Iain De Caestecker). The team forms a tenuous alliance with a female thief, Chloe (Mathilda Ollivier). Setting up a make-shift command post in Chloe's attic, the team must formulate a plan to infiltrate a heavily fortified church in order to eliminate the communications jamming tower. Their task becomes complicated when the German commander, Wafner (Pilou Asbaek) intervenes. Their mission requires them to overcome heavy odds and mysterious Nazi medical experiments. To makes things a bit more interesting, they must complete their mission within a few hours to ensure the boys at Normandy will have close air support.
Exceptional, original science fiction is hard to find. I normally have to settle for good science fiction. Overlord is somewhere in between. It is better than good. It is different from the genre of science fiction I generally prefer, but I like alternate history. This film offers a twist by combining alternate history with a horror element. It worked. What could have easily devolved into a convoluted mess was tightly scripted into an intriguing, fast-paced story. The characters were likable and engaging, the plot had a nice narrative arc, the dialogue was fresh and the pacing was heart racing. There were even a couple of "boo" moments for those viewers pretending not to be engaged. The writing was fresh.
Jovan Adepo was an interesting casting choice. He is a lesser known actor. He added credibility to his character. He is portrayed as a bit soft, but quickly becomes battle hardened. The transition felt natural, not forced. Cpl Ford was another interesting choice. Russell is the progeny of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. He looks and sounds a lot like his dad. Although he hasn't been in anything where his performance has caught my attention, this counts as the first. He isn't quite as gritty as his father, but he was credible as the battle veteran leading the small team. I liked him and hope to see him in another role so I can better gauge his skills. He was solid here. Magaro seemed chosen to add some comic relief to the story. His character is a wise cracker. He seemed to relish the role. The casting may have lesser or unknown actors, but the film was well cast. The actors helped sell the illusion.
Overlord was rated R by the MPAA. This film is not for young viewers. It is violent and it is nightmare inducing. It is a war film, replete with the airborne intensity of Saving Private Ryan, although not nearly as long or exhausting. The scene of the aircraft entering Axis airspace was intense. There was plenty of cold blooded killing and gore. The gore was multiplied by a factor of ten once the medical experimentation was introduced to the story. There is an attempted rape scene and foul language as well. This film was action-packed with great pacing that made it feel much shorter than the one hour, fifty minute run time. But this film is best for teens and above.
Overlord was a pleasant surprise. Part horror, part science fiction. The film re-imagines the D-Day landing as a small team of airborne soldiers attempt to take out a heavily fortified church near the coast. The film interlaced horror, comedy and history in a smart script that avoided getting mired in its own storytelling. That can be hard to do. Are there contrivances in this story? Yes. But they are palatable. Overall, this is solid storytelling, strong cinematic elements and heavy doses of seat gripping action. I would recommend seeing this in the film. It really jumped off the screen in IMax (particularly with the sound effects amplified by that format). I was more impressed than I expected to be. Not perfect, but original and interesting. 7.5/10.
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