Part War Zone, Part Monster Horror, 'Overlord' is a Cool Addition to Both Genres

Nowadays, it's rare to see a hybrid of two completely different film genres. On top of my head, only a few movies in recent years accomplished this feat, one being Dan Trachtenberg's 10 Cloverfield Lane, a fusion of monster horror and kidnap drama. So when something like Overlord happens, a concoction of a war film and monster gore, it's always overly refreshing.

Photo Credit: United International Pictures

Overlord is about a team of American soldiers on the eve of D-Day, who fell into Nazi-occupied France after their plane crashed on a mission to destroy a German radio transmitter atop a barricaded church. There they meet a French villager who became instrumental in taking down the Nazis and accomplishing their mission. Little did they know, they must also fight otherworldly creatures created by their enemies hiding beneath the church.

With this interesting plot, it's hard not to be glued on screen from start to finish. On top of that, the film begins in a pulse-pounding scenery of World War II. Introducing us to paratroopers with different personalities, and a war zone so loud and intense, it immediately grabs you along in the ride.

The first half brims with serious war zone action from the soldiers led by no-bullshit Corporal Ford played by Wyatt Russell, and the young and determined Pvt. Boyce, played by Jovan Adepo. When they fell into a bomb-infested forest, they also meet their other troops. Things get a little more interesting when they finally meet the mysterious French villager Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier), who took them home with her younger brother and her aunt hidden inside a closed room in their house.

Photo Credit: United International Pictures

It's purely a war film at first until we get bangingly introduced to Chloe's aunt. It perfectly shifts the tone from military adventure to horror slash science fiction really quick and hilariously scary. The thing about Overlord is it never takes itself seriously and that's when we eat it all up even if it's freakishly a fantasy material.

The second half of the film thoroughly elevated everything. War films are cool, but the monster horror portion of this is bonkers. It doesn't hold back in utilizing the gore factor. Bloods splatter everywhere, open flesh, bones clunking. It's all there and there's a lot of it. It makes for a lively and intense theater experience that is both fun and horrifying. It doesn't hurt that all the characters are also a mix of buffoons, yet all of them are badasses.

Overlord is a great addition to both war and monster horror genre that I don't mind seeing another take of this crazy and fun ride.