In "AZRAEL” (2024) Samara Weaving Is Silent, But Deadly (REVIEW)
Years after the Rapture, those who remain have taken a vow of silence, as speaking is considered a sin. Much like the Guilty Remnant from “The Leftovers,” those who are still here have made a utopian society without fear, anger, or hate…kidding, of course. At 85 minutes, E.L. Katz’s “Azrael” is a lean, mean post-apocalyptic thriller that is comfortable asking more questions than it answers. Come for the blood, stay for the theological questions you might not understand if you’ve never read the bible.
Despite the high concept, the story is pretty simple. Samara Weaving plays the title character who runs away from her makeshift forest community with her lover, Kenan (Nathan Stewart-Jarret). Why leave the safety of a group of your peers after the end of the world? Well, that question IS answered, sort of, when members of the community capture them and attempt to sacrifice Azrael to a creature in the woods. She escapes and makes a daring return to the shanty town in an attempt to find Kenan. Along the way, she’ll have to fight for her life against her cult-like fellow townspeople and the aforementioned creatures, who shamble aimlessly in the surrounding woods. They’re not quite vampires or zombies, but they look like charred black combinations of both. Sure, they look great, but what are they? And what’s the significance of the characters’ names when we never hear or read them? It’s not a spoiler to say Azrael will earn her moniker by the end, but a little more clarity would have gone a long way to understanding the religious themes.
Weaving is perfect for a role like this. Her big eyes and expressive face do a lot of the heavy lifting for a film where vocal communication is minimal. In the past few years, her characters have endured more punishment than most Final Girls, though she eventually turns the tables on her tormentors (except that one “Ash vs. Evil Dead” episode that still makes me wince. You know the one). This time is no exception, as she spends the film in near-constant motion. It’s as if part of Katz’s plan is to make sure we can’t catch our breaths to ask questions. Still, he shoots the hell out of it (with DP Mart Taniel), especially in a bravado climax of fire, blood, and drone shots. The obvious point of reference for a film like this would be “The Walking Dead,” but it feels more down-to-earth and scrappy like the underrated “Stake Land.” After all, we’re just far enough in the future that cars still run and guns are still the weapon of choice among the populace. Survival horror is the main genre at play, but there’s also a heaping helping of folk horror that runs throughout.
It’s a little difficult to understand the plot developments, and the ending is made to elicit an understanding from the audience via religious imagery. “You’re Next” Screenwriter Simon Barrett has heaven and hell on his mind, and while I didn’t quite get what he was going for, I wanted to. There are a lot of ideas here beyond a simple genre exercise, and while I doubt we’ll get more answers, I would have gladly spent more time exploring this world. Maybe someone can explain it to me, but I was happy enough to go on a gore-soaked ride with Weaving’s captivating central performance.
See “Azrael” In Select Theaters on September 27th
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