There’s a cool current trend within indie cinema that has seen a number of filmmakers seeking to recapture the throwback B-movie schlock that once frequented the screens of grindhouse theaters and the shelves of VHS rental stores. For those who may take that as an insult, it’s actually quite the compliment. I still love so many of those movies along with their often wild and storied histories. And over the years they and their filmmakers have earned their places on cinema’s rollercoaster timeline.

The latest indie to turn back the clock in this way is “Onslaught”. On paper, “Onslaught” doesn’t seem like a movie that has much in common with the low-budget exploitation films that clearly inspired it. It’s backed by the prestigious A24. It’s helmed by a blockbuster director. And it features a terrific cast of well-known names. But it doesn’t take long to recognize the film’s exploitation inspiration. And as a fan of that raw and gritty style, it’s easy to appreciate what director Adam Wingard is going for.

“Onslaught” clearly and proudly hearkens back to the work of several filmmakers, from grindhouse stalwarts like Roger Corman to the grittier low-budget genre films of John Carpenter. We catch the vibe early on and Wingard only ratchets it up as the story (written by his frequent collaborator Simon Barrett) unfolds. The finished product is an ultra-violent, sensationalistic, genre-warping delight that unapologetically immerses itself in the scuzzy grindhouse style. And I was hooked every step of the way.

Adria Arjona plays Celeste, a former Army sniper suffering from PTSD who now works as the on-site manager at a remote trailer park somewhere in the Desert Southwest. One day she’s surprised when her ex-husband (Jacob Scipio) unexpectedly drops off their daughter Daisy (Blake Kennedy) for the weekend. He also drops the news that he and his new wife are considering relocating across the country and plan on taking Daisy with them.

Not far way, in a hidden underground military research facility, a top-secret experiment is being conducted under the leadership of Dr. Hans Kammler (Dan Stevens in full mad scientist mode). Funded by a mysterious shadow board, Kammler has taken a trio of violent combat veterans and bioengineered them into ruthless killing machines. He has stripped them of their humanity, muted their ability to feel pain, and genetically enhanced their abilities. Once unleashed, the three hulking juggernauts will not stop killing until they have no more targets to kill.

The impatient board sends out a representative named Baylor (Michael Biehn) to press Kammler for results. The doctor reluctantly agrees to a demonstration but it goes terribly and violently bad. The three super-soldiers, known by their code names The Butcher (Alex Pereira), The Cockroach (Dave Campbell), and The Crybaby (Tyler Hall), escape the facility and vanish into the night. After massacring everyone at a truck stop, they follow the road to the trailer park where Celeste dusts off her military training and fights for her and daughter’s lives.

It’s a fairly simple setup to an even more straightforward story. But Wingard’s kinetic direction and razor-sharp focus propels things forward at a feverish pace. There’s no wasted time or energy. And the genre blending adds to the fun. The three soldiers have the presence of terrifying slasher movie killers. The action is fierce, bloody, and brutal. The baked-in campiness adds flashes of black comedy. And it’s all driven by a go-for-the-jugular audacity that fuels the entire endeavor.

There are several other fun supporting characters who bring their own spark to the story. Reginald VelJohnson plays Josiah, an old Vietnam veteran and trailer park resident. Rebecca Hall is devilishly entertaining as Kammler’s mysterious wife Hanna. Drew Starkey gets some good moments as Cyrus, the board’s drugged-up fixer sent in to clean up and contain the situation. And Eric Wareheim adds some humor as an overstimulated sheriff’s deputy named Kovacks.

At its core, “Onslaught” is a vicious and visceral homage to the 1970s exploitation scene. And you don’t just see it in the pulpy tropes, blood-soaked violence, colorful characters, and socio-political cynicism. It’s also in the brash colors and high-energy synthesized score. There is an unflinching intentionality behind every decision director Adam Wingard’s makes. And it’s that intentionality that allows him to see his wild and gnarly vision through to the end.

VERDICT – 4 STARS