Azrael – Movie Review (3/5)

AZRAEL is a new horror movie starring Samara Weaving. It’s a survival and revenge story set in a post-apocalyptic world of some kind. It should speak to fans of zombie movies. Read our full Azrael movie review here!

AZRAEL is a horror movie with virtually no words spoken. And it’s set in a post-apocalyptic world of some kind. If you like zombie movies with a darker vibe, then this should be for you.

Even though this is not a zombie movie as such. The runtime is just 1 hour and 26 minutes, which suits it wonderfully. Sure, you might be left with some questions, but the story is very much complete. And leaves room for expansion.

Continue reading our Azrael movie review below. Find it in theaters on September 27, 2024. It will also be out on Shudder later.

Voiceless but not powerless

In the world, we’re presented with in Azrael, no one speaks. Not one word. Even if someone is slicing into your flesh, you won’t speak. Mostly, I imagine, because you can’t!

We follow a mysterious, devout community where everyone has a scar on their throat. Surely, it’s a procedure that cuts their vocal cords or something to that effect. This community hunts down a young woman named Azrael (Samara Weaving).

She has escaped alongside a young man but is recaptured. Now the enforcers of this community want her to be sacrificed to pacify an evil that resides deep within the surrounding wilderness.

However, they don’t know what Azrael is capable of. She probably doesn’t even herself, but she will stop at nothing to ensure her own freedom and survival. And all of the above happens within the first 15 minutes or so.

She escapes their initial “sacrifice”-plan and then the battle for survival begins.

Survival Queen Samara Weaving

The star and title character of Azrael is portrayed by Samara Weaving. Fans of horror and other crazy genre movies will surely recognize her from The Babysitter and Ready or Not.

She was also in Mayhem, Guns Akimbo, Nine Perfect Strangers, and Scream VI (2023). No matter what she’s in or how big (or small) her role is, she always makes an impact.

In this movie, Samara Weaving is on screen virtually non-stop. And if you don’t see her, then she’s just in hiding. It’s no secret that, for me, seeing her name associated with a movie or series immediately puts it on top of my watchlist!

She’s not the classic Final Girl (not least as she also plays the villain), but she is a stellar Survival Queen. And a Revenge Diva. And yes, a brilliant Final Girl, when that’s the role she’s playing.

For Azrael, it’s a bit of all three!

Find Azrael in theaters – and later on Shudder!

This new survival horror movie comes from director E.L. Katz, who has delivered some very memorable movies in the past. His feature film debut was the 2013 movie Cheap Thrills starring Pat Healy, and I highly recommend it.

Up next for E.L. Katz is directing episodes of the upcoming sci-fi, horror, thriller series Teacup on Peacock. Working on series is nothing new to him as he also directed on The Haunting of Bly Manor, Channel Zero, and the Scream series.

The Azrael screenplay comes from Simon Barrett, who wrote the awesome survival movie You’re Next (2011) and most recently Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024).

Fans of either E.L. Katz, Simon Barrett, Samara Weaving, or survival horror movies should enjoy this. And if you like all the above, you’re in for a treat. Nothing extremely memorable, but very enjoyable all the same!

Azrael is In Theaters from September 27, 2024. Coming to Shudder later.

Details

Director: E.L. Katz
Writer: Simon Barrett
Cast: Samara Weaving, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Vic Carmen Sonne, Sebastian Bull, Peter Christoffersen, Eero Milonoff, Katariina Unt, Rea Lest