Azrael, the latest from director E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills) and writer Simon Barrett (The Guest, You’re Next), takes the golden rule of showing, not telling, to heart. Samara Weaving (Ready or Not, Scream VI) takes on the title role in this survival horror movie set in a post-Rapture world where speaking is forbidden. It makes for a fascinating experiment in dialogue-free horror, where most the world building is left to the viewer to discern amidst minimalist storytelling and propulsive action.
A text card reveals that the Rapture has already happened when we meet Azrael, a terrified woman on the run with her lover (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett). Azrael is terrified and on edge, constantly looking over her shoulder as her lover tries to soothe her. They can’t say what they’re running from, though, as the cross-shaped scars on their throats indicate speaking is an impossibility for either. It doesn’t take long for their cultish persecutors to reveal themselves, though, pummeling both and dragging Azrael against her will to be sacrificed.
But just as her executioner – a burned, bloodthirsty humanoid – arrives, a stroke of determined luck frees Azrael and kickstarts a violent bid for survival.
The setting itself is, for the most part, as minimalist as the narrative. Nestled deep within a forest, the only telltale signs of a fallen civilization are a few clunky cars, building ruins, and a ramshackle encampment. It puts the spotlight on Weaving’s Azrael, a terrified woman ill-equipped to fight off her much stronger enemies. Her wordless arc charts an intriguing course; the constant barrage of attacks injects adrenaline and character development at once. Azrael simply wants to survive, and the relentless pursuit sees her fear slowly transform into gritty resolve.
Helping, of course, is the carnage. The cult members pursuing Azrael don’t hesitate to dole out grueling punishment to force her into compliance, but it pales in comparison to the ravenous creatures who tear into flesh with grotesque ease, blood spurting everywhere. Katz only dials up the gore and violence the longer the night wears on, with Azrael taking a constant pummeling.
It builds to an appropriately biblical finish, a distinctly horror punchline at the end of a grueling, thrilling gauntlet. Weaving carries the film effortlessly through an impressive, entirely physical performance. You can feel her primal scream, even if it comes out as a hollow hiss. Azrael’s fear earns easy rooting interest, and that only mounts when Weaving digs into her steely resolve to finally fight back. None of the other characters get fleshed out or have much in the way of identifying personalities, but they don’t need it. This is Samara Weaving’s show.
Azrael plays like a nonstop barrage of horror violence over the course of 24 hours, a gory survival thriller that doesn’t have time to dwell on the story specifics. It doesn’t really need to; Barrett’s lean, efficient script gives enough clues to let viewers fill in the blanks of this very biblical horror tale. The experiment in dialogue-free action can be a tricky one; it’s a tough ask for audiences wanting spelled-out answers. But Weaving’s capable performance and the visceral siege horror ensure this experiment succeeds.
Azrael releases in theaters on September 27, 2024.
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