I was really excited to see this movie because of JJ Abram's involvement, and the trailer absolutely sold me, so when I saw this was showing a couple weeks early I made sure not to pass up the opportunity.
So how was it?
It was really good. I didn't think it was great, but it has some really cool stuff that was very entertaining, and overall I had a good time. The first thing I'll get into would be the VFX, which I believe were created by ILM. The gore effects were incredible and made me squirm in delight, and the opening sequence of the squads plane getting shot down over France was spectacular. It looks absolutely stunning and is equally terrifying, especially with the excellent sound design.
The cast for the most part was good, I wouldn't say anyone was outstanding but they were really good. One comedic character in particular worked very well, and the dynamic between the leads was fun and interesting, but it never goes too deep. But let's face it, I didn't go to the movie for deep characters, I went for the WWII Nazi zombies.
I was a little let down to be honest with the amount of zombie material in the movie. Maybe that's a little nit picky but a lot of the best zombie stuff was shown in the trailer, and although it's more fleshed out in the final film, it would've been nice to have seen some other crazy stuff that we hadn't already seen bits of. Then again, the zombie sequences and effects that are in the movie are fantastic, both creepy and undeniably fun. I guess I just would've liked a little more.
I guess I'll end this by saying if you want a fun WWII/zombie movie, go see this. We need more R-rated blockbusters like this, so go support this one.
844 Reviews
Going to turn into a Cult Classic
jrugg199 November 2018
Overlord is essentially a B-movie with a Hollywood budget, great action, and a TON of gore. I really enjoyed this movie quite a bit, especially in the opening scene, which was shot very well. This movie is an action-horror set during World War II when a bunch of American Soldiers discover that the Germans are up to something sinister in one of their bases, and that is all I will say about the plot. It's awesome to watch. The films cast doesn't consist of any A-Listers or Superstars, but has a lot of recognizable faces such as Wyatt Russell, (who's performance reminded me a lot of his dad Kurt in The Thing), Pilous Asbaek and Jacob Anderson of Game of Thrones fame, John Magaro and Bokeem Woodbine, and newcomers Jovan Adepo and Mathilde Olliver as the leads. To sum it up, Overlord is the type of movie that is going to develop a fanbase years from now, it is very fun and will satisfy those both looking for intense action and gory horror, and I can easily recommend this. We can all thank Julius Avery for directing such a fun movie and J.J Abrhams for deciding to NOT turn this film into a Cloverfield movie.
The Most Expensive Nazisploitation Film Ever Made
Krush_Burner6 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This is not the first time when J. J. Abrams put the finances into the risky project (remember "Cloverfield"), but this is definitely a curious choice for such a filmmaker. "Overlord" is the rare hybrid of a WWII film and a zombie horror - kind of movies that were prosperous back in 1970s and early 1980s, but has been long gone since then. And even in those times most of them were cheap and cheesy exploitation films, full of gore and nudity. (And yes, lots of people nowadays will think not of grindhouse cinema, but rather of "Call Of Duty" or "Wolfenstein" game series, which is an obvious point of reference here.)
And "Overlord" nearly perfect in assembling those pieces of a Nazi zombie horror movies into one single story. The plot is simple, action-packed and has it all: lots of fighting, shootings, machine guns and flamethrowers. The characters are schematic, almost one-dimensional, because it's not WWII drama, and that's enough. The SFX are great, there's a lot of blood and guts here, exactly what one can expect from a film which involves Nazis, experiments with (un)dead, and covert military operation.
However, there's some minor but annoying mistakes in presentation of some important plot elements, which hard to left unnoticed. Perhaps the most striking example of such retroactive anti-militaristic message is when Cpl. Ford decides to stop Nazis once and for all near the end of the film: his attitude looks a bit anachronistic in 1940s and such views for an U.S. soldier were much more credible rather after Vietnam War than during the WWII. There's also a very implausible fight between two main characters before the final onslaught, which looks ridiculous within the context of the upcoming Overlord operation.
But it all can easily be put aside, because "Overlord" is the Nazispoltation at its best: dark, bloody, action-driven horror about zombie soldiers trying to take over the world. Take it for what it is, and have fun.
And "Overlord" nearly perfect in assembling those pieces of a Nazi zombie horror movies into one single story. The plot is simple, action-packed and has it all: lots of fighting, shootings, machine guns and flamethrowers. The characters are schematic, almost one-dimensional, because it's not WWII drama, and that's enough. The SFX are great, there's a lot of blood and guts here, exactly what one can expect from a film which involves Nazis, experiments with (un)dead, and covert military operation.
However, there's some minor but annoying mistakes in presentation of some important plot elements, which hard to left unnoticed. Perhaps the most striking example of such retroactive anti-militaristic message is when Cpl. Ford decides to stop Nazis once and for all near the end of the film: his attitude looks a bit anachronistic in 1940s and such views for an U.S. soldier were much more credible rather after Vietnam War than during the WWII. There's also a very implausible fight between two main characters before the final onslaught, which looks ridiculous within the context of the upcoming Overlord operation.
But it all can easily be put aside, because "Overlord" is the Nazispoltation at its best: dark, bloody, action-driven horror about zombie soldiers trying to take over the world. Take it for what it is, and have fun.
One of the better Nazi horror flicks
Leofwine_draca30 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
OVERLORD is another addition to the small but ever-growing subgenre of Nazi-themed horror movies, which usually involve zombies and the like. It's similar in plot and tone to FRANKENSTEIN'S ARMY but more mainstream and less grindhouse in feel, although it still proves a gritty and gruesome adventure. I think the idea of American paratroops facing zombie experiments during the D-Day invasion is a great one, so this had to handle the concept really badly for me not to enjoy it. However, it's all good. The main characters are interesting and generally likeable; the villains are nasty and scheming; the zombies themselves sufficiently icky and horrible. Extensive CGI is used to depict certain fiery moments and the effect is chaotic, which is as it should be. Despite copious bloodshed this goes down the action rather than horror route, and works well in that regard despite cliches popping up regularly. I enjoyed it.
Entertaining with flaws...
Shazam13031 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start of by saying... The movie was nice. Expected a bit more horror and maybe even more zombies. That would have made it a perfect score for me. Nonetheless what it did have was a lot of action and a lot of tension. Overall a fun watch and everybody in the room enjoyed it. Heroic storyline, a lot of gore, one of the best opening sequences I've seen in a while and some decent humor. Grab your boys and catch it at the movies if u can. Popcorn flick for a good time at the movie theater! Don't expect an Oscar contender here! Then You'll have plenty fun!
Fun and Action
snt04300511 November 2018
Perfect blend of WW2 action, zombies and gore. Don't go into this expecting Oscar nominations, and you'll enjoy the ride. It was exactly what I expected- I was entertained for close to 2 hrs. Got my money's worth.
A box-office dud destined for cult status
eddie_baggins13 March 2019
At one stage thought to be some form of Cloverfield sequel/prequel, thanks to the association with wonder producer J.J Abrams and his production company Bad Robot, Overlord is very much a film set in its own universe that takes us on a gore filled World War 2 set adventure to occupied France, as a small collection of American soldiers discover that German run labs are not the ideal place to spend time in.
Directed by upcoming Australian filmmaker Julius Avery whose previous film Son of a Gun showed much promise, Overlord does a lot with its relatively small budget of $38 million as we are thrust into the D-Day invasion and follow a collection of paratroopers on a mission to destroy a German radio bunker set up at the base of an old church building.
It's not being over the top when you say the first 10 - 20 minutes of Avery's film are some of the most thrilling and dazzling of the last 12 months, with the audience given barely a moment to breathe as the films stunning opening set-piece takes place and we launch out of an under fire carrier plane with Jovan Adepo's Boyce and his fellow soldiers.
If Overlord had somehow managed to keep this pace, intensity and style up, Avery's film would be a dead-set undeniable gem but sadly the film unleashes its best too early as the film around it, whilst often entertaining and gloriously over the top, just never quite delivers the thrills, spills and chills like you'd wished it had done.
Truly becoming the cinematic equivalent of the famous Wolfenstein video game series (which must've been a direct inspiration for this tale), Overlord's mix of war time action, sci-fi, straight up visceral horror (found within the Nazi's underground labs) and thriller doesn't always hold up, even if it's great to see a film of this ilk play it completely straight with Overlord forgoing laughs as there's no winking to the camera as the nefarious goings on begin to take hold.
It's a gore-filled and claret flowing exercise, with Avery clearly at home with the action side of things and a little less so at character building, with side players like Wyatt Russell's knuckle-duster loving Ford, John Magaro's stereotypical Italian solider and Mathilde Ollivier's token French female tomboy Chloe having fun but remaining fairly forgettable with Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk stealing the acting show with his turn as evil Nazi Wafner.
You never regret going along for this ride with enough imagination, impressive make-up and special effects and darkly imagined horrors such a soldiers traumatic return from death keeping things moving and ever watchable, you just can't help but feel like Overlord had the potential to become a genuine classic of its genre mash-up.
Final Say -
There's a lot to like about Overlord (an unfortunate box-office dud) that's likely to find a much a larger audience on home release but despite its many strengths and standout individual scenes, this Wolfenstein come to life is a mostly enjoyable but mostly forgettable affair.
3 bullet wounds out of 5
Directed by upcoming Australian filmmaker Julius Avery whose previous film Son of a Gun showed much promise, Overlord does a lot with its relatively small budget of $38 million as we are thrust into the D-Day invasion and follow a collection of paratroopers on a mission to destroy a German radio bunker set up at the base of an old church building.
It's not being over the top when you say the first 10 - 20 minutes of Avery's film are some of the most thrilling and dazzling of the last 12 months, with the audience given barely a moment to breathe as the films stunning opening set-piece takes place and we launch out of an under fire carrier plane with Jovan Adepo's Boyce and his fellow soldiers.
If Overlord had somehow managed to keep this pace, intensity and style up, Avery's film would be a dead-set undeniable gem but sadly the film unleashes its best too early as the film around it, whilst often entertaining and gloriously over the top, just never quite delivers the thrills, spills and chills like you'd wished it had done.
Truly becoming the cinematic equivalent of the famous Wolfenstein video game series (which must've been a direct inspiration for this tale), Overlord's mix of war time action, sci-fi, straight up visceral horror (found within the Nazi's underground labs) and thriller doesn't always hold up, even if it's great to see a film of this ilk play it completely straight with Overlord forgoing laughs as there's no winking to the camera as the nefarious goings on begin to take hold.
It's a gore-filled and claret flowing exercise, with Avery clearly at home with the action side of things and a little less so at character building, with side players like Wyatt Russell's knuckle-duster loving Ford, John Magaro's stereotypical Italian solider and Mathilde Ollivier's token French female tomboy Chloe having fun but remaining fairly forgettable with Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk stealing the acting show with his turn as evil Nazi Wafner.
You never regret going along for this ride with enough imagination, impressive make-up and special effects and darkly imagined horrors such a soldiers traumatic return from death keeping things moving and ever watchable, you just can't help but feel like Overlord had the potential to become a genuine classic of its genre mash-up.
Final Say -
There's a lot to like about Overlord (an unfortunate box-office dud) that's likely to find a much a larger audience on home release but despite its many strengths and standout individual scenes, this Wolfenstein come to life is a mostly enjoyable but mostly forgettable affair.
3 bullet wounds out of 5
SOLID GENRE FARE...!
masonfisk23 February 2023
From 2018, we have the ultimate in hybridization: a WWII movie spliced w/a zombie flick. Soldiers are dropped into French territory to take out a German radio tower on the eve of D-Day but what they don't know is that this facility is the hub of German research in resurrecting dead bodies (they've been conducting experiments on the town's populace perfecting their techniques) to create the ultimate supersoldier. The American unit led by Wyatt Russell (son of Kurt) & Jovan Adepo (he played Denzel's son in Fences), an African American soldier, join forces w/a French national (played Mathilde Ollivier) & her younger brother to infiltrate the base to complete their mission. When out on a recon jaunt, Adepo discovers the grisliness of their labs which throws a further wrinkle into their plans & in someone's lesser hands, could've derailed the entire affair. From Dusk til Dawn springs to mind as another genre mixer which adeptly blended 2 disparate genres to entertaining effect & taken on that level, Overlord doesn't disappoint w/plenty of gore & violence to satisfy any naysayers.
Call Of Wolfenstein: Overlord
Pjtaylor-96-13804411 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
'Overlord (2018)' certainly has tonal issues, often being properly horrific but seeming to want to inject humour at the most inopportune of moments. It's also quite schlocky essentially every time it tries to do anything more traditionally 'war movie'-esque. This is especially prevelant in the moments where it wants us to believe its heroes are being overtly and defiantly heroic, in spite of their army-given orders or previously quite unlikable (sometimes contemptible) character-traits, or in the times where it tries to tie its events directly into the narrative of the overall Second World War - which is actually quite disturbing not in its slightly jingoistic and strangely campy ending but in its undercurrent of Nazi experimentation, something that did really occur to an extent perhaps less sensational but far more despicable than what's seen here. Really, the issues come down to the writing, which isn't as nuanced as it perhaps thinks it is but also isn't as straight-forwardly 'genre-specific' as it perhaps ought to have been. There are times when the flick works, though, which mainly come when it slips straight into the fantastical, horror territory where it feels most at home and, indeed, adept. Here, it puts the historical context further into the background than before, using it as a backdrop for a sort of silly but played-straight science-fiction flick that actually works well when it tries to scare and make squirm. The visuals are pretty much universally good and, aside from a couple of unnecessarily glorified gore-shots, the violence is presented as believably painful and properly gruesome, too. Ultimately, this makes for a flawed experience that's at its best when it just lets the viscera fly like it is slick, big-budgeted and generally very well put-together grindhouse-bound 'trash art'. 6/10
Load of tosh
tony_carlin29 November 2023
If you're going to make a movie about WW2 even a fictional horror movie you need to at least try to stick with some basic basic concepts. The USA at the time 1944 was totally segregated by colour and there were no black soldiers in the airborne regiments at that period of history. Also the men shaved. Designer stubble was not a fashion trend then
If you're going to play fast and loose with basics like that then you might as well have the soldiers using smart phones, laptops and laser guided weapons, they weren't around in 1944 either no matter how much the director wants. So if you want to give you brain a rest, ok, but it's utter garbage.
A great blend of genres (each done well) - shame about the final 30 mins
GoldenBlunderbuss6 November 2018
If you want to go in to watching this film without seeing the trailer, then don't read any reviews - including this one. There are no spoilers beyond what the trailer shows.
I make that opening claim because if you hadn't seen the trailer, you wouldn't know of the dual-genre nature of Overlord. The genre shift to full-blown 'zombies-but-not-quite' action comes after 75 minutes of truly brilliant wartime drama with some moderate scares. The opening scenes of the paratroopers entrance to the war-torn French countryside is a particular highlight for its chaotic, intense and disorientating depiction of what it must've been like for those who did the deed for real in WW2.
The horror element begins to build early on but is never an indication of the upcoming genre shift (if you've not seen the trailer, at least) until the point (From Dusk to Dawn style) where it's made clear that we're not in Kansas anymore. The only bummer I can think of is the film falls into the trap of a predictable final 30 minutes. With all the enjoyment had before then, it's so disappointing to feel let down at the last hurdle.
The soundtrack is immense, the cinematography is brooding without being dark (a style which works for both of the film's genres), and the CGI special effects are affectingly convincing. Don't expect great things from the script (which includes several awful one-liner comebacks), but I think this film will go down as one of the great zombie films of recent years, and may even be noted for its even better turn as a war film.
Best quote: "What is this?!" - "Our greatest achievement. With it, we create super-Nazis; a thousand year army and it's thousand year soldiers."
I make that opening claim because if you hadn't seen the trailer, you wouldn't know of the dual-genre nature of Overlord. The genre shift to full-blown 'zombies-but-not-quite' action comes after 75 minutes of truly brilliant wartime drama with some moderate scares. The opening scenes of the paratroopers entrance to the war-torn French countryside is a particular highlight for its chaotic, intense and disorientating depiction of what it must've been like for those who did the deed for real in WW2.
The horror element begins to build early on but is never an indication of the upcoming genre shift (if you've not seen the trailer, at least) until the point (From Dusk to Dawn style) where it's made clear that we're not in Kansas anymore. The only bummer I can think of is the film falls into the trap of a predictable final 30 minutes. With all the enjoyment had before then, it's so disappointing to feel let down at the last hurdle.
The soundtrack is immense, the cinematography is brooding without being dark (a style which works for both of the film's genres), and the CGI special effects are affectingly convincing. Don't expect great things from the script (which includes several awful one-liner comebacks), but I think this film will go down as one of the great zombie films of recent years, and may even be noted for its even better turn as a war film.
Best quote: "What is this?!" - "Our greatest achievement. With it, we create super-Nazis; a thousand year army and it's thousand year soldiers."
Fresh, fun horror movie
erosegerity21 October 2018
I saw this film at the Philadelphia Film Festival and I had a good time watching it. It's a very intense movie with a lot of action throughout; it never has a moment where it calms down. I like that aspect of it but I can definitely see it being sensory overload for a lot of people. It's also quite graphic, and sometimes it's a little gratuitous and overly gory. I think the film relies a little too much on jump scares but the atmosphere is pretty creepy anyway. I think towards the end the film gets pretty over-the-top and silly, but I think it's an interesting setting and it's very well-shot and the VFX are pretty good.
Over and Under.
aciessi11 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
In Nazi occupied France, in what I'd say is the same time period Aldo Raine was collecting scalps and chasing after Hans Landa, a ragtag group of paratroopers crash lands near the headquarters of a diabolical science lab where humans are taken against their will to guinea pig a top secret serum that transforms them into super-human zombies.
Overlord is exactly the kind of film you'd expect to see in the early 80's in the naughtier section of the video store. A WWII-set, Science-Fiction blood binge made for midnight viewings... or at least, that was the intention. Overlord, the actual film, has trouble expressing itself in this way. At times it takes itself too seriously. Other times, it goes for the gross out moment, but never takes it far enough. Overlord seems to be afraid of it's own shadow. It should've been more outrageous, more shameless and more hard-R that it is here. A worth while effort, and far from a cheap cinematic affair, but not satisfying.
Overlord is exactly the kind of film you'd expect to see in the early 80's in the naughtier section of the video store. A WWII-set, Science-Fiction blood binge made for midnight viewings... or at least, that was the intention. Overlord, the actual film, has trouble expressing itself in this way. At times it takes itself too seriously. Other times, it goes for the gross out moment, but never takes it far enough. Overlord seems to be afraid of it's own shadow. It should've been more outrageous, more shameless and more hard-R that it is here. A worth while effort, and far from a cheap cinematic affair, but not satisfying.
Fun war movie with a horror twist
tedbreen12 November 2018
Fun war movie with a horror twist. On its face, it is a procedural military mission - get in and do the thing to support the impending Allied invasion. The horror twist comes when the soldiers discover some strange stuff happening in the village. Medical experiments are being performed to transform normal humans into super soldiers. The mission now becomes twofold: destroy the tower and destroy the lab! Nothing particularly special or innovative about the story, but it was wildly entertaining and enjoyable. Very exciting edge-of-your-seat action scenes, well-performed roles, top-notch special effects, and solid jump scares. We watched it in the Dolby theater at AMC Metreon in SF. It was super loud and the place was rocking!
Point of interest
tcr-717526 October 2022
In my opinion, this movie wasn't bad at all. Also it very closely resembles the book One Last Gasp by Andrew C. Piazza which I thoroughly enjoyed reading!!
To add more content for submission, one more note as to the accuracy of this film.
In 1944 there were not any black men in the 101st Airborne.
At that point in time the United States military was segregated and black men were relegated to rear area jobs or jobs which were intensely manual labor.
However the Tuskegee Airman who flew the P51 Mustangs as part of the Red Tails Squadrons were a wonderful exception.
I hope I have made this as accurate as possible, thanks for reading.
To add more content for submission, one more note as to the accuracy of this film.
In 1944 there were not any black men in the 101st Airborne.
At that point in time the United States military was segregated and black men were relegated to rear area jobs or jobs which were intensely manual labor.
However the Tuskegee Airman who flew the P51 Mustangs as part of the Red Tails Squadrons were a wonderful exception.
I hope I have made this as accurate as possible, thanks for reading.
Incompetent crap
Matt34524 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Terrible writing: absolutely terrible characters, terrible dialogue, terrible story-development. And, besides, probably some of the worst WW2 American soldiers ever put on film, not all of which seems even intentional.
That the plot would be dumb is kind of a given, but this is just incompetent, and given the cheesy bloat and self-importance of a big production to make it fully insufferable. The dialogue is the kind of terrible that is not merely hammy and clichéd, but the kind that knows it can be clichéd and "not smart", and therefore is satisfied with just being plain bad.
The characters are so awful, one can't call them characters, but just attempts at ones which are played by actors with specific faces. The same as for the dialogue and plot, their "deliberate" attempts at being awful are indistinguishiable from them just being badly written.
Yes, some of the things we are shown are also somewhat "terrifying" (actually just a small selection, which by the way doesn't include such attempts like a jumpscare by a soldier seeing an ordinary corpse in WW2), to get that semantic ambiguity out of the way, however the movie is unbearably bad and not entertaining after the basics are established...
High expectations cus of reviews and i love a good b-movie but this turned out to be a boring one.
benj-2083916 November 2018
I really felt conned by the halfway point of this, from then on i kept thinking that i'd rather have waited for it to come to TV instead of wasting time and money on it.
From what i just watched, its not the "fun, original, scary, gory, inventive thrill-ride, maximum shock value, insane" film its been reviewed to be. Definitely NOT scary or gore filled, and with the $38 million budget you'd have expected A LOT more!
The opening 5-10 minutes the reviews have been raving about was ok, its not an opening that would warrant a cinema visit, it ain't no Saving Private Ryan, Edge Of Tomorrow, etc battle scene, as it's over in a flash, roughly 1 or 2 minutes of action, pretty much whats in the trailer and the rest is characters chatting! Then it quickly slows to its meandering pace, with been-there-done-that scenes with added cheese and cliche characters, which start to wear your hopes for a fun big budget B-movie way he f down. I just became bored and just hoped for an outstanding action filled and creative finale to win me over. But NO, the ending is just standard gun play, explosions and one fight that's over way too soon and that's your lot! I would have been satisfied if it had maybe matched an exciting Expendable's type finaly as it was a similar premise.
It's a film that never takes its idea's far enough, never too crazy or too gory but just a very controlled and safe 18 certificate B-movie. And it's a movie that mostly relies on the stupidity/naivety of its lead character to make the plot move forward. If you're after a subtle b-movie then this may be for you
I was really looking forward to this because i'd read really good things, and i missed Slaughterhouse Rulez cus of this.
An episode of the Walking Dead is more exciting, gripping, tense and fun.
Check it out and make up your own mind up but i've given you a heads up. I didn't expect the grindhouse style of Planet Terror with Overlord but Planet Terror was a great fun big budget B-movie!!
From what i just watched, its not the "fun, original, scary, gory, inventive thrill-ride, maximum shock value, insane" film its been reviewed to be. Definitely NOT scary or gore filled, and with the $38 million budget you'd have expected A LOT more!
The opening 5-10 minutes the reviews have been raving about was ok, its not an opening that would warrant a cinema visit, it ain't no Saving Private Ryan, Edge Of Tomorrow, etc battle scene, as it's over in a flash, roughly 1 or 2 minutes of action, pretty much whats in the trailer and the rest is characters chatting! Then it quickly slows to its meandering pace, with been-there-done-that scenes with added cheese and cliche characters, which start to wear your hopes for a fun big budget B-movie way he f down. I just became bored and just hoped for an outstanding action filled and creative finale to win me over. But NO, the ending is just standard gun play, explosions and one fight that's over way too soon and that's your lot! I would have been satisfied if it had maybe matched an exciting Expendable's type finaly as it was a similar premise.
It's a film that never takes its idea's far enough, never too crazy or too gory but just a very controlled and safe 18 certificate B-movie. And it's a movie that mostly relies on the stupidity/naivety of its lead character to make the plot move forward. If you're after a subtle b-movie then this may be for you
I was really looking forward to this because i'd read really good things, and i missed Slaughterhouse Rulez cus of this.
An episode of the Walking Dead is more exciting, gripping, tense and fun.
Check it out and make up your own mind up but i've given you a heads up. I didn't expect the grindhouse style of Planet Terror with Overlord but Planet Terror was a great fun big budget B-movie!!
well made B-movie
SnoopyStyle5 August 2019
It's D-day. A squad of paratroopers are tasked with destroying a radio tower on top of a church. Their plane is shot down. After their leader gets shot by the Nazis and one steps on a landmine, four survivors remain. They find refuge with a scavenger named Chloe. The Nazis are experimenting on the locals at the church.
It's a horror story within a historical event. It has a good amount of action and thrills. The characters are compelling. It's always nice to have Nazi villains. It may not be completely new. It is not trying to be break new ground. It's a well-made B-movie and that's commendable.
It's a horror story within a historical event. It has a good amount of action and thrills. The characters are compelling. It's always nice to have Nazi villains. It may not be completely new. It is not trying to be break new ground. It's a well-made B-movie and that's commendable.
Way better than you'd ever expect & not what you'd think from the trailer
bridgetbreland15 November 2018
Wow color me impressed:) I went in with low expectations but from the adrenaline filled, edge of your seat opening I was hooked.
I thought it would be schlock horror. What I got was a well acted, well scripted action/drama/horror film that actually had me caring about the characters.
Very unique and I agree with other reviewers that it should be a cult classic. I hope more people go to see it in theaters as it deserves a much wider audience.
Decent WOII action movie, not much a horror
rubainvansteenbrugge1 November 2018
I saw this film at a halloween event and i expected this movie to be a horror film after watching the trailer. A movie about Nazi-zombies or something, who's not interested? But it was a let down for me.
Don't get me wrong, the movie looks good. The visuals, the sounds, the characters were great. They kept the story simple whitch i have no problem with. The movie started great and had a slow moment after that as it should be, but i expected to see some kind of 'zombies' after a while. To be fair, you don't see much of the 'zombies' but what you see, is great. The movie isn't scary at all, nor gory or anything you would expect of a horror movie but it had a lot of potential te be one. Maybe they kept it that way to attract a broader audience.
If the intention was a just a WOII movie with a twist...alright i can live with that, it was entertaining. If you expect to see a horror, you will be let down.
Don't get me wrong, the movie looks good. The visuals, the sounds, the characters were great. They kept the story simple whitch i have no problem with. The movie started great and had a slow moment after that as it should be, but i expected to see some kind of 'zombies' after a while. To be fair, you don't see much of the 'zombies' but what you see, is great. The movie isn't scary at all, nor gory or anything you would expect of a horror movie but it had a lot of potential te be one. Maybe they kept it that way to attract a broader audience.
If the intention was a just a WOII movie with a twist...alright i can live with that, it was entertaining. If you expect to see a horror, you will be let down.
Hits Every Cliche
Otte114 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
1. Half the diaglogue composed to people screaming other's names...Check
2. Every emotional dumb decision made with almost non-existent logic...Check
3. Machine gun fire one room away and bad guys do not hear or come until movie needs them to..Check
4. Looking into locked closets or strange peepholes for no reason at all...Check
5. Turning back on villian and not ensuring they are dead and they attack..Check
6. Picking up powerful weapon using it, then drop it instead of using it again..Check
7. Falling in love in 20 minutes and trying to save one person instead of thousands...Check
8. Not killing the bad guy when you have a chance, so the bad guy can come back again later in movie..Check
Spoiler: While it is set in WWII, it is really nothing more than a modified zombie movie.
Spoiler: While it is set in WWII, it is really nothing more than a modified zombie movie.
Mindless fun entertainment.
vithiet1 January 2023
This came up on a list of "underrated sci fi movies"... and I wouldn't say that it belongs in there. I didn't know what to expect going in and it probably helped me enjoy it more. This is definitely a B movie with a big budget and slick production value. The opening scene is fantastic and the rest is just entertaining. While the plot revolves around WW II and Nazis, don't expect anything historically accurate and do expect clichés galore. But it's clear Overlord never tries to pretend to be something it's not; I really wasn't sure if I would rate this a 6 or a 7 but at the end of day I was engaged from beginning to end, so 7/10 it is!
Disappointing at best.
kellvallon14 November 2018
I was very excited for this movie when I saw the previews for it. Unfortunately the advertising was much better than the actual film. If your looking for a good ww2 nazi horror film this is not it. Go play one of the Castle Wolfenstein games instead. Atleast they had better characters and story. With this you dont get any character development. The characters are not likeable and the story is vague. My recommendation is wait till it's on Netflix. This movie is not worth the price of admission.
Ridiculous. Ludicrous. Preposterous.
CinemaClown9 February 2019
It is always difficult to give a damn about characters who sideline basic common sense for impulsive & mind-numbingly stupid action, and then find themselves in all sorts of trouble for which they are solely responsible. The premise of zombies in World War II setting may sound outlandish but it was also feasible, that is until the writers decided to fill the story with characters as brainless as the undead.
The story of Overlord follows a small group of American soldiers behind enemy lines whose mission is to destroy a radio tower in order to ensure the success of Allied invasion the next day. But their mission turns into a horrifying nightmare when they learn about the secret human experiments that the Nazis have been carrying out on the town's residents, and must act before the pandemic spreads.
Directed by Julius Avery, the film isn't subtle at all in telling the viewers where the inspiration for numerous moments come from, and is an unabashedly silly, pulpy & gleeful gorefest that may delight B-movie fanatics. Not one character is penned down properly, the rookie protagonist being the worst scripted of them all, and so we are never invested in them and keep a safe distance from the horror they later find themselves in.
And with terrible characters come terrible performances. Wyatt Russell's character is the only one with any presence of mind but even he discards it later so as to not feel being left out. The incompetent rookie keeps making moronic choices for the entirety of the story, and his idiocy rubs off on everyone around him. The crimson violence, gore & bloodshed is present in good amount yet the film never goes full tilt with it the way zombie films tend to.
Maybe every single complaint I have regarding Overlord is a deliberate choice by the filmmakers. Maybe it's supposed to be this absurd, outrageous & preposterous war horror parody filled with witless characters that just throws everything at the wall, hoping that audience will find some of it interesting & amusing. Either way, I have low tolerance for these shtick treatments, and even more so when within the laughable premise lies a potentially intense, gripping & solid horror flick.
The story of Overlord follows a small group of American soldiers behind enemy lines whose mission is to destroy a radio tower in order to ensure the success of Allied invasion the next day. But their mission turns into a horrifying nightmare when they learn about the secret human experiments that the Nazis have been carrying out on the town's residents, and must act before the pandemic spreads.
Directed by Julius Avery, the film isn't subtle at all in telling the viewers where the inspiration for numerous moments come from, and is an unabashedly silly, pulpy & gleeful gorefest that may delight B-movie fanatics. Not one character is penned down properly, the rookie protagonist being the worst scripted of them all, and so we are never invested in them and keep a safe distance from the horror they later find themselves in.
And with terrible characters come terrible performances. Wyatt Russell's character is the only one with any presence of mind but even he discards it later so as to not feel being left out. The incompetent rookie keeps making moronic choices for the entirety of the story, and his idiocy rubs off on everyone around him. The crimson violence, gore & bloodshed is present in good amount yet the film never goes full tilt with it the way zombie films tend to.
Maybe every single complaint I have regarding Overlord is a deliberate choice by the filmmakers. Maybe it's supposed to be this absurd, outrageous & preposterous war horror parody filled with witless characters that just throws everything at the wall, hoping that audience will find some of it interesting & amusing. Either way, I have low tolerance for these shtick treatments, and even more so when within the laughable premise lies a potentially intense, gripping & solid horror flick.
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