A silent horror film that looks great but lacks much explanation.
You could say the latest IFC Films and Shudder horror film “Azrael” is like a cross between “A Quiet Place” and “Ready or Not,” if it takes place in a post apocalyptic world where speaking is forbidden and if Samara Weaving has to be a sacrifice. You could say it has a cult following potential, especially since the studios have been specializing in gore and elevated horror. But this one doesn’t cut it, because it’s hard to understand the rules of this new society and it sells itself short in the genre.
The story takes place after the Rapture, when people have renounced their sin of speaking and people are hunted down by dirty humanoid creatures, which is why a cult keeps trying to sacrifice Weaving’s Azrael to one of them. But how does that help if they’re just going to keep eating people? It’s never really explained, other than some biblical messages that appear every now and then. “From all my transgressions deliver me. I have become Mute, I open not my mouth” is an example taken from Psalm 39:8.
There are supporting characters in the story, like Azrael’s lover Kenan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), who gets captured by one of the creatures, and a pregnant antagonist named Miriam (Vic Carmen Sonne), who spends most of her time in a church waiting to strike at any moment.
The one character who speaks in the film is a foreigner (Peter Christofferson), who temporarily gives Azrael a ride in his truck. I was given a screener link of this movie. I’m not sure exactly, but I wasn’t given any subtitles, so I don’t understand what the man is saying. Maybe the movie on the silver screen doesn’t have them either. Are subtitles supposed to be a sin here, too? I’m sorry if I don’t know everything in this world.
“Azrael” was written by Simon Barrett, whose credits include some segments in the “V/H/S” franchise and “You’re Next.” And it was directed by E.L. Katz, whose credits include “ABCs of Death 2” and “Small Crimes.” They both seem to have ambition in using silent characters in a post apocalyptic world, as well as the creatures, gore, cinematographer Mart Taniel photographing them, and Weaving taking the lead. But they don’t have the kind of story to draw us in and test our minds. It basically becomes repetitive with the escapes, chases, creature attacks, and how the main heroine thrives against them.
Weaving was able to survive those Satanists in “Ready or Not,” and had the kind of humor and attitude to do so. And she’s able to survive here, too, but as a completely different person. There’s nothing wrong with it, and she does a good job without words, too. But this horror film needs elevation.
So far, this year I have also seen “Late Night with the Devil” and “In a Violent Nature,” which are also released by IFC Films and Shudder. I think those horror movies were original and daring, and I was able to acknowledge what they were trying to convey. And I love how even AMC Theaters can give those films night screenings, because that’s when they have the right crowd of people.
“Azrael” should have the same kind of horror vibes as those films, and it looks and feels scary, especially when Weaving can hide in a dark room while a creature is at the door. It’s a shame that the film doesn’t go deeper. I don’t mind dialogue-less movies (and I did enjoy John Woo’s “Silent Night”), but I needed a better understanding of the story, and I need to know where it’s going.
If it’s any consolation for these people, I’ll just write my review here, and I’ll only speak on my YouTube channel and on NEWHD Radio.