A Gory Horror Movie Starring Two Star Trek Legends Is A Hidden Gem On Netflix
Siege films are typically pretty stressful, but there's nothing quite like the "punks vs. Nazis" terror of Jeremy Saulnier's 2015 movie "Green Room." In a role very different from Captain Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Patrick Stewart stars as Darcy, the leader of a group of skinheads operating in the Pacific Northwest. Instead of leading a starship through space, Darcy orchestrates the capture and murder of the members of the Ain't Rights, a punk band that finds itself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Among the members is the band's bassist, Pat, played by Anton Yelchin, who starred as Pavel Chekov in the Kelvinverse "Star Trek" films, making this one of the nastiest movies starring "Star Trek" alumni ever (and yes, that's including William Shatner in "Kingdom of the Spiders.")
In "Green Room," the Ain't Rights book one last show at a bar before heading home from their tour, not knowing it's a Nazi bar. When they discover that, play a cover of the Dead Kennedys' classic "Nazi Punks F*** Off," and subsequently witness a murder in the green room, Darcy and his skinheads decide to silence the band permanently. The resulting chaos is some of the gnarliest and most intense storytelling you can possibly watch, and the movie is currently streaming on Netflix.
Green Room is as brutal as it is brilliant
No one does realistic violence quite like Jeremy Saulnier, and "Green Room" is a gory masterpiece. After locking themselves in the green room, the Ain't Rights and a couple of unlucky patrons have to try to escape, which leads to a whole lot of violence and death. The gore in "Green Room" is so impressive that it actually inspired director Ryan Coogler to hire special effects artist Mike Fontaine to do the same kind of horrifying work on his vampire film, "Sinners."
"Green Room" is the kind of movie that works best if don't know much going in, with sudden shocks and truly nightmarish moments that deserve to be felt at full force. It can be a little extra heartbreaking to watch the late Yelchin, who died in an accident in 2016, in such a vulnerable role, but both he and Stewart deliver fantastic performances. Additional great performances by "The Toxic Avenger" director Macon Blair, "Search Party" star Alia Shawkat, and "The Chronology of Water" star Imogen Poots help cement "Green Room" as an all-timer, especially when we get to see the Ain't Rights fight back and take out a few Nazi punks themselves. If you want to see two "Star Trek" greats battle it out in the most brutal fashion possible, "Green Room" on Netflix is the flick for you.