IFC Films shared the official trailer for ‘Azrael’, the post-apocalyptic action horror film from director E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills) . The film stars Samara Weaving as an imprisoned young woman trying to escape and survive a cult of mute zealots in a world where no one speaks.
The movie had its world premiere at the 2024 SXSW Festival and has since been screened at the Overlook Film Festival and the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival.
Starring the film are Samara Weaving, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Vic Carmen Soone, Sebastian Bull, Eero Milonoff, Vincent Willestrand, Rea Lest, Peter Christoffersen, Phong Giang, Karen Bengo, Katariina Unt, and Lucie Jan.
Release Date
Directed by E.L. Katz, ‘Azrael’ opens in theaters on September 27, 2024.
Synopsis
In a world in which no one speaks, a mysterious, devout community hunts down a young woman named Azrael (Samara Weaving) who has escaped their imprisonment. Recaptured by its ruthless leaders, she is to be sacrificed to pacify an evil which resides deep within the surrounding wilderness — but Azrael will stop at nothing to ensure her own freedom and survival. From the seeds of this gritty, relentless parable of sacrifice and salvation, comes an immersive, real-time, action horror tale from the visionary minds of Simon Barrett and E.L. Katz.
In an interview with No Film School, director E.L. Katz talked about his experience developing the script with writer Simon Barrett, saying, “One day we had this challenge because we were in a moment of maybe creative confusion or “where are we at in our careers,” because the industry doesn’t always make these crazy movies. And there’s been times it’s been more jam-packed than others. — And we’re like, “Okay, well, you have to write something new. I have to write something new. Let’s make a bet. We should just write a script this month that we would love to see.” And he wrote Azrael, which was called The Lamb at the time”
Reviews
Christian Zilko in an IndieWire review gave the film a score of ‘B’, writing, “‘Azrael’ is a comforting reminder that even after seven million years, humans are still finding new ways to put their own spin on our first primordial fears.“Azrael” is a comforting reminder that even after seven million years, humans are still finding new ways to put their own spin on our first primordial fears.”
Richard Whittaker in an Austin Chronicle review praised the film and Weaving’s performance, writing, “Weaving, who excels at this kind of character-driven action-horror, plays perfectly with our empathy, wordlessly guiding us through this damned land. When her destination is revealed, nobody should be surprised: Azrael simply proves, chillingly,”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for ‘Azrael’.