Dir. EL Katz [FrightFest 2024]

Ask any regular FrightFest-goer to list some of their favorite films of the last 25 years, and it won't be long before they mention EL Katz's. Cheap thrillsNow Katz is back at the festival with her latest film. Azrael: Angel of DeathThe film has been playing at festivals since the beginning of the year and has now finally made it to the UK.

With Samara Weaving – horror fans know Ready or Not, Mayhem, The Babysitter, Scream 6, And chaos to name just a few – Azrael is a completely different film than Cheap thrillsNo filmmaker can be expected to make the same kind of film over and over again, but Azrael is such a departure from Cheap thrills that it might confuse some people. After the rapture, many people have denounced the sin of speech, which means that in many ways, Azrael is a silent film. Weaving plays a young woman named Azrael who is chosen as the official sacrifice to the creatures lurking in the forest of her home. However, Azrael, unsurprisingly, is not happy with this plan and flees; the rest of the film follows her mission to survive.

If the mention of the rapture and the name Azrael did not make it clear, Azrael is primarily biblical in nature. The action is punctuated by a series of Bible quotes and those hunting Azrael are clearly devout, extremist Christians. It is a bold move by Katz to put religion at the center of the piece and position believers as antagonists. This serves as a stern warning of where the future of humanity could lead if we follow extremist ideologies of any kind.

Since the whole film seems like a big game of hide and seek, Weaving is the perfect choice for the role of Azrael. Her time at Ready or Not gave her experience with this type of film, although the inability to speak presents an additional challenge. Fortunately, Weaving has one of the most expressive faces in the horror genre and so the viewer can always read exactly what Azrael is thinking at any given moment. Those chasing her do not speak, but make animalistic noises, confirming that humanity has reverted to its more primal form. These noises are particularly effective in creating a dangerous atmosphere. The only catch with the dialogue-free approach is that it becomes difficult to follow exactly what is happening. This is a minor criticism, but one that will slowly creep in for those more used to films with standard dialogue and explanations.

The action is well done and the bloodbath is brutal. Apart from being hunted by the believers, strange, oil-blackened beasts roam the forest. Their appearance is reminiscent of the cave dwellers in The descent, and they are similarly ferocious. These creatures literally tear apart any prey that comes their way, and regularly drench the screen in blood. A popular killing trick is to pull off the flesh on the neck to expose what lies beneath; it's grotesque but beautiful. The forest setting adds to the atmosphere, and the later addition of some caves visually helps to up the ante. Of all the images in Azrael However, it's the final glimpse of Azrael that makes the film stand out. The image fits perfectly with the biblical component of the film and is striking enough to be a candidate for Best Ending Shot at this year's Pigeon Shrine FrightFest.

How much joy will one have in Azrael: Angel of Death depends entirely on the viewer's patience for silent films. This is a film that requires dedicated concentration, as Katz and screenwriter Simon Barrett refuse to make any aspect easy to explain. Those who enjoy an extended action sequence should be somewhat appeased, however, and fans of Samara Weaving will be the ultimate winners, as Azrael lets them show the full range of their abilities.

Azrael: Angel of Death was checked at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024.