Welcome to a new world unlike anything you’ve seen before. It is set after the Rapture, and those who remain on earth are unable to speak a single word. The film opens with a woman named Azrael (Samara Weaving) on the run, filled with fear and panic as she sprints through the woods, hoping to survive. Sadly for Azrael, she gets caught by an unknown group with sinister plans. By cutting Azrael’s leg, some ritual is conducted, and a mysterious creature appears from the wood with its sights on Azrael while others around her chant and the wind from the woods get louder and louder.
Thankfully, Azael cleverly escapes once again and continues on the run while the hunt for the various group members continues. Azrael’s journey has only just begun as she continues to try to find refugees from the group of human survivors and mysterious creatures who can be summoned at their request. For the sake of spoilers, this is all I’m going to reveal about the film’s premise!
Azrael is best described as a horror film with plenty of mystery and unknown, a massive driving force in the plot department. If you enjoy blood spillage, violence, and murderous creatures, you’ll also be delighted to hear that the film includes surprising amounts of action. Directed by E.L. Katz, whose past film work includes Cheap Thrills (2013) and Small Crimes (2017). Katz is also no stranger when it comes to working as a director on horror titles, which is a featured director on ABC of Death 2 from 2014 (segment A is for Amateur) and The Haunting of Bly Manor from 2020 (one episode). Azrael was also written by Simon Barrett, who wrote many horror titles such as You’re Next, The Guest, and Seance (which he also directed).
As the film opens, I love the world we are introduced to. It’s filled with danger, mayhem, craziness and many unknowns that will have viewers wondering how this new world works and, more importantly, whether Azrael can survive a blood bath. While the film is often shot in the woods, other areas, such as base camps, are also introduced, which look and feel convincing. Moments of gore and blood were also impactful, and I raised my eyebrows multiple times with shock and awe.
While the film starts strongly, the pacing continues to be exciting as more of the world and the plot are unveiled, heading toward a massive showdown and surprises. Granted, some moments may feel slow or drawn out, but I admired these moments and their surroundings. Filming-wise, I was also pleased with the various tracking shots, which consistently follow the film’s lead even while running. At times, impressive zoom-ins take place, which assists with tension and atmosphere. While the film carries no dialogue, it’s great to see actress Samara Weaving delivering an excellent performance with plenty of emotion and range.
Overall, Azrael is an excellent film for passionate lovers of horror and those who aren’t afraid of some gruesome violence and bloody scenes. I love this unknown world presented on-screen, and the fact that the film consists of no dialogue requires audiences to pay attention to the minor details or let your creativity within your mind flow with everything on-screen. There are plenty of surprises here, as well as great setups and reward payoffs by the film’s finale. As the film’s lead, Samara Weaving is also great and delivers huge expressions and emotions for viewers. It’s a solid feature from director E.L. Katz, but the film’s writer and creator, Simon Barrett, deserves even more praise; he once again creates something new, fresh and a world that is, in fact, yet again, highly creative, profoundly horrifying and wildly insane.
Areal (2024) is Available at Monster Fest from Melbourne from October 4th to 12th (everywhere else from October 4th to 6th) and on Shudder from October 25th!
7.7/10
5th October 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
0 Comments