Onslaught Review on X: There is something hilarious about watching the internet collectively agree that a movie is a good time while simultaneously sounding a little annoyed that it was not a better time.
That seems to be the exact mood around Adam Wingard’s Onslaught.
Onslaught Review on X:
The early reactions on X (formerly Twitter) are not exactly divided. Nobody appears to be walking out of this one wondering if they had fun. The blood, the action, the soundtrack, the strange little characters and Adria Arjona altogether are making up for what feels like Arjona’s natural habitat now, and they are all getting a lot of love.
There is, however, an inevitable little sigh of wanting more in one form or another.
X is Having Fun with Onslaught
The easiest way to describe the current X wave is to say that the people are enjoying themselves.
X user @TomChatalbash is perhaps the least interested in pretending otherwise, calling Onslaught a film that rules and praising its pulpy, blood-soaked execution. For them, the movie’s simple concept is not really a problem because Wingard knows exactly what to do with it. The user writes, “The set pieces have bite, genuinely great jolts, stellar sound design and Arjona is a bona fide badass here, with Stevens, Starkey and Hall the quirky, eclectic sprinkles on top. It definitely could’ve benefited from being 10-15 mins longer with another set piece or two, and there isn’t a ton lurking beneath the surface unfortunately.”
Another user, @FredrickNuti, is even more enthusiastic and calls the movie “near perfect” and singles out its music, performance and action.
There is, however, another side to the conversation. User @DinenbergMax liked the cast, the filmmaking and the soundtrack, but felt that Onslaught never quite shifted into the next gear. User @Ryan_Helton44 similarly calls the film good while feeling that too much was left in the cutting room.
People are not saying that the film is not good; they are just pointing out that it could have been better.
Adria Arjona Might Have Found Her Action-Star Era
The excitement around Adria Arjona feels less like the usual “great performance” compliment, and more like people have decided they want to see her do this again in a loop.
@Ryan_Helton44 is already “all in” on Arjona becoming the frontwoman for the action films while @TomChatalbash calls her a bona fide badass.
That is probably the key takeaway; Onslaught seems to be giving Arjona the kind of action that allows her to exist in the frame differently. She is not reacting to the chaos, but she is seemingly one of the reasons audiences are leaning deep into the chaos in the first place.
Drew Starkey and Dan Stevens Are Sneaking Away With the Conversation
The other fun part is the love towards Drew Starkey and Dan Stevens. User @Ryan_Helton44 specifically calls both of them standouts, pointing to their eccentric characters as something that gives the film personality beyond a basic action setup.
X user @blewis1103 writes, “Reginald VelJohnson is MVP”, which is exactly the kind of random little X agreement that makes these reactions more fun than a conventional review board.
There Could Have Been More!
This is where almost all the roads lead: the characters are thin; worldbuilding apparently tries to bite more than the runtime can eat; the finale feels rushed to some viewers; and then there is that particularly frustrating feeling that the movie is getting started when it is already wrapping things up.
Some feel X users think that a little more time could have helped and point to thin characters and a rushed finale, while some even feel that the worldbuilding itself could have done more.
So, Is Onslaught Actually Good?
Judging purely by the X reviews, the answer would be “yes, but…” The movie seems fun; Adria Arjona is good, the soundtrack, action and characters work well. However, there is a but attached.
X users feel that there could have been more of it, which is perhaps the most encouraging criticism of all because the X conversation does not sound like people are regretting watching it but sounds like they wish there was more to and of it.
That is perhaps the bittersweet takeaway from Onslaught, as it seems to have found its audience while also leaving them staring at the screen for more.
Have you watched Onslaught? Watch the Onslaught official trailer and official trailer 2 on YouTube.
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@ TIFF/NYFF (@blewis1103)
. I just wanted more. Thin characters and a rushed finale keep it from fully landing.