“Overlord” feels like a missed opportunity from beginning to end. Its story of Nazi zombie experiments is fairly interesting, but the actual horrors of the holocaust will always outmatch any horror treatment so the subject has always been on the reductive side. Against this overly serious background, director Julius Avery pits his American soldiers against German soldiers and zombies in a secluded, oppressive setting, but there’s little suspense to be had because the characters are just too under-developed to register much. Even Wyatt Russell, usually a charismatic screen presence, is muted and humorless here among the equally dour supporting cast, and at 110 minutes, the whole thing is overlong and rather mundane. Luckily the climax is strong and finally delivers on some of the movie’s promise, but getting there is too much of a slog to warrant a recommendation.
Rating: ★★ (out of 5)
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