In “Azrael,” the latest joint from director E.L. Katz of “Cheap Thrills” fame, and writer Simon Barrett responsible for “The Guest” and “You’re Next”, sparsity is king, both in plot and location. It instantly transports us to the world after the Rapture with silence as the new color of gold and voice as vice versa.
There is only an enormous dark forest around, and the artifacts that survived the post-apocalyptic cataclysm – abandoned cars, broken architecture, and tents. This minimalistic setting which adds tremendously to the intensity of the film’s narrative focuses on the vertical struggle of Azrael, played by the talented Samara Weaving (“Ready or Not”, “Scream VI”).
In Weaving’s Azrael, the main character is a woman plagued by fear, who possesses no skills to fight off the dangerous foes that continuously hunt her character. Her change from a timid woman to a strong unquestionable New York Yorker fighting the system is quite fascinating and it is all done without the use of dialogue.
The endless stream of complaints she receives brings energy to each episode and advances her character, as well as the series’, progression. And I think as viewers we are left with no choice but to hope she fights for her life, witnessing the transformation of her weakness into strength.
It is not surprising that the film is replete with explicit gore, which is characteristic of survival horror films. The hunters of Azrael, the members of the cult, do not spare her and mercilessly submit her to physical and mental torture that will make her obey them.
However, such graphic violence still does not approach the next level of wickedness: the monstrous, hunger-ridden creatures that inhabit the darkness—the shadows themselves are carnivorous and naked, tearing into the flesh with relish, blood jets spraying behind them. Night by night, director Katz reminded the viewers the rating was reserved and stepped up the gore and violence in the aftermath of Azrael’s decision.
This creates an epic biblical build-up for that final, perfectly sinister horror payoff that gives a wonderful if rather cold, conclusion to Azrael’s labor. And weaving takes the film – or at least its center – through some remarkable, wholly physical acting by Bening. Nonetheless, through the lack of a spoken word, she can depict a wide range of gamut of emotions; one can hear her cries turning into vicious hisses in a society where utterance of any form of speech is prohibited.
Many of the characters are similarly underwritten, which allows them to act more as roles, rather than complete human personalities but this does not at all hinder the movie. But it simplifies it and intensifies the focus on the lone warrior, which is undoubtedly Samara Weaving’s movie. She brought a lot of experience into the film that helped push Azrael’s survival arc to be both thrilling and also heartfelt.
I believe that “Azrael” is quite an interesting example of a dialogue-free horror film as the creators have to minimize the use of the narrative and use intense action instead. The film’s location and the theme of a man chased for his entire life create tension and enhance the survival horror subgenre experience. It’s a stimulating challenge that comes close to explaining what is behind the fascination with visual images, and the robustness of a prodigious performance.
When will Azrael finally be released to audiences?
It debuted at the 2024 South by Southwest festival on March 9, 2024, and will be distributed in theaters in the United States by IFC Films and Shudder on September 27, 2024.
Who’s been cast to bring the dark, enigmatic world of Azrael to life?
The cast of the 2024 horror film “Azrael” includes:
Samara Weaving as Azrael
Vic Carmen Sonne as Miriam
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Kenan
Katariina Unt as Josephine
