Movie Review - Onslaught

I watched the trailer for ONSLAUGHT, and it really didn’t strike me as a movie I wanted to see. Gotta be frank—the genre is not in my wheelhouse.

Then I saw it.

7:42●●● 95%

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And I’m glad I did.

ONSLAUGHT is a real throwback film. I’ve been getting a lot of ’80s nostalgia reels in my social media lately, and this movie fits right in. The background music, the cut of the opening-credit montages—it’s got all that grindhouse, Blockbuster Video VHS-on-a-Friday-night feel.

Think Schwarzenegger, Norris and Seagal, with a healthy helping of FRIDAY THE 13TH and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE.

And lots of blood.

Sounds crazy, but it works.

The standouts for me were Adria Arjona in the lead as Celeste, a retired military sniper carrying the weight of PTSD who will defend her child at all costs. Badass to the bone.

I also got a charge out of Eric Wareheim as the cop in the trailer park, who brings just the right bit of comic relief and gives you a laugh or two every time he shows up on screen.

But the biggest surprise was Reginald VelJohnson, who gets a meaty role as a crusty old Vietnam-era vet. We soon find out there’s still plenty of fight left in the old soldier. Not once will you be thinking about his nine-year run as Carl Winslow in FAMILY MATTERS. He completely owns this role.

These three actors were the heart of the film for me.

Sure, there are a couple of scenes that have little setup and lead nowhere, along with some characters whose backgrounds are never fully explained. The movie clocks in at just 92 minutes, so maybe another 20 minutes would have given us some of that missing background.

But you’re not here for that.

If you’re looking for an hour-and-a-half flick that delivers action, lots of bloody violence, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, you’ve come to the right place.

Grade: B-

Plot
When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter.