Julius Avery’s Overlord is an unhinged gorefest that pits a squad of plucky American soldiers against some nightmarish Nazi experiments.
World War II is undoubtedly the historical conflict that has seen the most screen time. Some of the best books, games, and movies of all time take place during those six eventful years. Many modern WWII films can be dull deep dives into the historical minutiae aimed at the elderly, but films like Overlord prove that there’s still a lot of fun to be had with the era.
The line between horror and action is often ill-defined. The easiest distinction would be whether the victims can fruitfully fight back. However, some classic horror films allow their heroes to deal as much damage as their villains. A truly great example can balance being a compelling action roller coaster and a terrifying horror experience.
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In an alternate history, the day before D-Day, a squad of American paratroopers is flown into Germany to deal with a radio signal jammer before the Normandy landings. As they near their target, their plane is shot down. Only four soldiers survive the attack, but the squad’s new de facto leader Corporal Ford insists on completing their mission. Ford and his men, Boyce, Tibbet, and Chase, happen upon a young woman named Chloe, who happens to live near the target. The Americans quickly learn that the Nazis have been kidnapping the villagers for an increasingly awful series of horrific experiments. After Boyce and Ford capture a Nazi who has been threatening Chloe, they’re forced to dig deeper into the horrors of their actions. They’re outgunned and behind enemy lines, but fascist soldiers are far from the scariest thing they’ll have to deal with.
