Azrael takes place after the Rapture, where humanity's devout survivors have taken a vow of silence. Quiet subservience is assured by cutting vocal cords and leaving a crucifix-shaped scar. But another terrifying remnant stalks the wilderness and demands to be fed through bloody sacrifice. The film falls prey to a few clunky genre tropes. It hurdles those barriers with slick cinematography, brutal violence, and a fierce lead performance. Samara Weaving continues to prove her mettle as a horror and action badass in a visceral thriller with biblical themes.
Hunting a Woman in the Woods
Azrael (Weaving) walks alone through a heavily wooded forest. She tenderly crafts a bracelet with vines and berries before returning to her campsite. Azrael is aghast to see that her lover, Kenan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), has started a fire. She furiously stamps out the flames and turns to him with a "what are you thinking" look. She places the bracelet on his hand as a sign of her commitment, and the pair continue on their journey until they are quickly chased and surrounded by hostile forces. Azrael weeps as Kenan motions her to keep going. He'll go in the opposite direction and try to divide their pursuers. His noble efforts aren't successful as she's subdued a short time later.
Azrael's screams are barely heard as she's beaten into submission. Josephine (Katariina Unt) watches as the cult's followers bind Azrael to a chair. They line up behind her and look away. Religious fervor grips their bodies as they shake and huff in excitement. Azrael regains her bearings. A primal howl pierces the still air. She watches in pure terror as a burnt black figure begins slinking towards her. Azrael thrashes like a mad woman to try and loosen her restraints. Will she escape? Will she be captured again?
A Killer Samara Weaving Leads a Film Without Words
None of the characters are named because the ensemble never speaks; you only learn their names from the end credits. From the first frame, the film relies upon visual recognition. Acclaimed horror screenwriter Simon Barrett, known for A Horrible Way to Die, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and his partnership with director Adam Wingard (You're Next, The Guest), relies on bare-bones story elements to build intrigue.
This is cleverly done with almost no exposition. For example, Azrael's relationship with Kenan is solely explained through their physical contact. His importance to Azrael, and willingness to distract the cult to aid her escape, is shown in scant minutes of screentime.
The antagonists are similarly established. Josephine is seen as merciless and formidable from the start. Her acolytes are also easily distinguished by gender, race, ethnicity, and unique costume designs. Director E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills, Small Crimes) uses diverse casting to help the audience distinguish the characters and avoid confusion. These are smart moves to aid a narrative with no dialogue.
Azrael doesn't work if you don't believe Weaving has the fortitude to fight back. She takes an absolute beating throughout but bounces back harder and more determined every time. Weaving takes her butt-kicking credentials from Ready or Not to the next level. You see her rage explode into fiery vengeance.
The Plot Gets Old but the Direction Is Excellent
Azrael's lighting and cinematography is especially well done. All the action takes place in dark and foreboding woods with fire and celestial bodies being the only noticeable source of illumination. There are fantastic overhead shots as the characters chase each other. Lighting large and dense spaces at night isn't easy and has been bungled in low-budget horror features ad nauseam. It's pitch black outside here, but you can clearly see the primary focus while the periphery remains eerily shrouded. Katz and Estonian cinematographer Mart Taniel deserve top marks for the film's impressive visuals.
Azrael loses steam when all the running around gets tiresome. The cat and mouse elements have fading effectiveness with repeated escapes and recapture. A big point of confusion throughout is the relative distance between the cult's camp and where Azrael is found. There are scenes where it seems she's far away, then others look like she's just absconded around the corner. This is the problem with filming in a uniform setting. Katz is able to differentiate his cast, but has a noticeable issue with the forest environment.
A Quiet Place comparisons are inevitable. The characters here choose not to talk and scar themselves to achieve that goal. However, the bloodthirsty creatures aren't aliens that crashed Earth's party via asteroids. Azrael draws inspiration from Christian mythology. It's broken down into chapters, each prefaced by quoted scripture. This leads to the cults' big reveal in an action-packed climax. Azrael uses silence as a key part of the premise, but it's a completely different animal from Paramount's blockbuster franchise.
Azrael is a production of Traffic and C2 Motion Picture Group. It will be released theatrically on September 27th from IFC Films and Shudder.
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