[SXSW 2024] AZRAEL -- Great Gore and Performances are Not Enough

Review by Jonathan Berk

​There are two big reasons to see Azrael: Samara Weaving and the visual effects. These two elements are undeniable. However, if you care about character motivation, story logic, or the rules of the world, Azrael will leave you wanting. It's frustrating to watch something that feels like style was chosen over substance time and time again. Some moments may wow the audience, but the next will leave you confused, frustrated, and unclear. 
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The apocalypse has happened, and years later, a cult of mute zealots captures Azrael (Samara Weaving) and her love. They appear to want to sacrifice her to something, but it's unclear exactly what. The ritual is performed, and a crispy-looking creature shambles towards her. She breaks free and pushes a zealot into the creature to escape. This sets the two forces on each other as she seeks to save her love, and they seek to kill her. 

The creatures in this film are the prime example of the lack of clear rules. Ignoring the issues of classification (is it a zombie, demon, monster, or something else entirely?), how they operate is completely unclear. It is shown that they are attracted to the scent of human blood. However, the first time we see this is when they slice Azrael's leg open with a razor to lure it to her. One arrives and moves with no real sense of urgency. Yet, later on, the creatures run towards her. They appear insatiable, but for the movie's sake, they pretend to leave in one moment only to pounce seconds later. While the "scare" effect is evident in moments like that, it undercuts any sense of world-building. 

These issues are not exclusive to the monsters. There is almost no dialogue because the majority of the characters are mute. Yet, multiple times, they seem unable to hear for the plot's sake. A creature basically tap dances its way toward a character who doesn't hear anything until it's almost too late. Don't worry, though; this creature appears to lose interest for no reason shown in the movie. So many moments like this are stitched together as part of the tapestry of the story, only to be undone later. 

After Azrael's initial escape, she stumbles upon a river. The movie then cuts to a camera shot that pushes through a waterfall up to Azrael in this very cool-looking moment. It feels like a POV of something approaching her, but then it cuts to the other shot, and she's just in the river. The shot looks cool but offers nothing. That's a great metaphor for this movie. All of the stuff seems cool, but ultimately, it amounts to nothing. 

Azrael is probably a little better than I am willing to give it credit for. The thing is, if you are creating the world of the film, you get to control the rules. So, if you want something to be a certain way, you can write it like that. However, if you want to keep your audience on the same wavelength, consistency in those rules usually helps. 

Azrael is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. 

Rating: 2.5/5