Azrael (2024), directed by E.L. Katz, stars Samara Weaving, Vic Carmen Sonne, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Katariina Unt, Eero Milonoff, Sebastian Bull, Phong Giang, Rea Lest, and Johhan Rosenberg. The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and follows a young woman (Weaving) who escapes the clutches of a merciless cult whose members don’t speak and worship bloodthirsty creatures that lurk in the forest. When she is recaptured along with her lover (Stewart-Jarrett), the cult plans to use them as a sacrifice to the forest creatures. After she escapes once again, the girl sets out on a brutal journey of survival that quickly turns into a desperate bid for vengeance. 

The various members of the cast give strong performances considering the film features zero dialogue (excluding some Spanish). That being said, I think this lack of dialogue ultimately hurts characterization. The film’s action kicks in almost immediately, so there’s already little room for exposition. Not allowing these characters to talk only worsens the matter. Granted, it’s a simple story so the plot avoids being confusing. Unfortunately, it also avoids feeling original or complex. Some more insight into individual characters’ motivations would have significantly enhanced the experience. Thankfully, the film’s saving grace is Samara’s Weaving’s memorable lead performance. After seeing her in Ready or Not (2019) and now this, she’s cementing herself as one of the most badass action heroines in recent memory. She has an extremely expressive face so I think this is a case of an actress finding the perfect material to show off her skills. 

Some of the film’s best moments hinge on the director’s ability to hone in on the desperate survival elements of the character’s journey and ultimately deliver tense sequences that feature genuinely satisfying payoffs. That’s not to say that these payoffs are surprising or subversive; they simply just deliver the goods. The film doesn’t waste time hiding its creatures, and because their designs are genuinely creepy, its a breath of fresh air. Hiding the creatures for the sake of “tension” would only contradict the otherwise fast pace. It also delivers some truly great “carnage candy” that is sure to make lovers of the genre cheer. 

It delivers on action, but is unfortunately lacking in thematic substance. Feminist themes are present but half-baked which results in an ending that makes little sense in terms of character. It’s just unclear what any of it means for the characters as well as thematically. Something just “happens.” It makes sense, but it’s tough to figure out the point of it all. On a surface level, it is also far too similar to the endings of two other movies released this year. My last gripe has to do with the fact that the film’s choice to feature zero dialogue feels like a gimmick instead of something that supports the story/themes. Besides one fun, low-stakes sequence that takes advantage of that premise, it’s barely used in any meaningful way. However, this doesn’t particularly hurt the movie either; it’s honestly something that I forgot was happening. I think it’s an element that some viewers will argue in favor of, but I wasn’t entirely convinced of the choice.

Overall, this is a balls-to-the-wall survival horror film that ends up being a lot of fun until its weak conclusion. If one enjoys horror and doesn’t expect anything deep, they’re sure to have a decent time. That being said, there was something a tad hollow about the experience in the end. I suspect that this is the type of movie that will play much worse on a rewatch. If anything, check it out for Samara Weaving’s badass lead performance. C+