‘Onslaught’ First Reactions: Adam Wingard’s A24 Action-Horror Gets Mixed Response

Above is our first look at Dan Stevens playing a mad German scientist in “Onslaught,” most likely the man responsible for creating the film’s “soldiers” gone wrong.

“Onslaught,” which hits theaters September 4, is starting to, ever so slowly, roll out to critics. First reactions arrived today, ranging from positive to mixed, with one person calling it “one of the most irresponsible movies I've seen” for reminding him of ICE killings.

SHORT PSA: Movies don’t need to be “responsible” for anything. They can be messy, provocative, uncomfortable, or even in bad taste. That’s kind of the point—you watch it, decide what you think, and move on.

Back to “Onslaught,” which is backed by A24. Wingard has described the film as the final chapter of a trilogy alongside his other two films, “You’re Next” and “The Guest.” According to Wingard, “Onslaught” is not a direct sequel following the same characters, but it shares the same world and expands on ideas introduced in “The Guest.” Wingard even acknowledged that audiences could “technically call this a sequel” because of the shared universe.

Adria Arjona leads the film as a struggling mother living in a trailer park who sets out to protect her loved ones from a rogue squad of genetically engineered super-soldiers that have escaped from a secret military base while mercenaries attempt to contain them.

Rebecca Hall and, as mentioned, Dan Stevens also star in “Onslaught,” alongside Michael Biehn, Reginald VelJohnson, Eric Wareheim, Drew Starkey, and Alex “Poatan” Pereira.

Reactions below.