Green Room – Movie Review

Green Room – R
Release Date: Fri 29 Apr 2016

A punk band accidentally witnesses a murder at a skinhead club, and become caught in a standoff against the club owner (Patrick Stewart) and his small army of Neo-Nazis.

Green Room is impeccably paced and plotted as we get to know the band, getting by on next to nothing in their tour van. After a particularly bleak, low-paying gig they get a lead on a show at a skinhead club outside of Portland, Oregon. The setup to the standoff is excellent and the ensuing second act is also stellar. The tension continues to ratchet up while more information becomes available.

The finale is where things start to drag as the viewer seems to catch up a good 10 minutes before the end and it stops being quite as engaging. However, in this particular genre this is a great example of the setup and payoff done right. Seeing Patrick Stewart as the subdued but merciless leader of the white power group is a total flip on his normal role. The portrayal of what it’s like to be a broke band on the road is also pitch perfect.

Matthew, Aaron and I saw it in the theater and had a discussion in the car: