This is a violent action/horror film that seems to have had aspirations for a big theatrical success. It had a medium-sized $15 million budget, and featured two well-known actresses, Adria Arjona and Rebecca Hall, in the cast, with Arjona in the lead.
The film scored a C at Cinemascore’s test screenings, which is about as low as their scores go, except for notorious bombs like Solaris. Onslaught has the lowest score listed among the 2026 releases on their home page. Despite that, some executive somewhere thought that the film had enough potential to merit a release in 1900 theaters in the USA. I assume that exec is now wearing a hairnet and plus-selling fries, because the film barely registered at the box office with a gross of about $3 million.
Despite that poor box office performance, it is rated fairly high by critics and IMDb voters:
IMDb: 6.1
Tomato Meter: 58%
Popcorn Meter: 61%
When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter.
There is no point to doing captures because the naked women are not only uncredited, but they are wearing masks as well. (It’s some kind of B&D/S&M club.) Here is the video if you are interested.
Two things.
One, it’s a stealth sequel to The Guest, a very popular cult hit from director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barret. They’d had a run of successful indie horror films. However, they got signed on to reboot The Blair Witch Project and despite that movie being good, IMHO, it cratered in theaters and with fans. It also lead to a breakup between Barret and Wingard.
Two, Wingard. He went on to do extremely well making movies about big apes: King Kong. He’s the guy behind that arm of the “Monarch” movies of the Godzilla films from Legendary. He made tons of cash. Then, he reconciled with Barrett and they decided to make the sequel to The Guest that was teased in that movie. A much bigger story involving the secret government super soldier program hinted at in the original. Tapping into that genre of horror action like the Terminator films.
I’m not sure why it tanked. Bad timing?Bad marketing? Too long since The Guest? I haven’t seen it but I’m dying to. The Guest is incredible, pure genius. One of the earliest appearances of Maika Monroe, now deservingly an indie darling.
Has there been a case where a film with a C on Cinemascore has been a box office success? If test audiences hate a film, that’s a pretty clear warning that a bomb is about to explode.
As of 2023 these were the highest grossing movies in each C range.
C+: Fifty Shades of Grey
C: The Last Airbender
C-: The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
It has strictly a by-the-numbers plot and completely predictable characterization, basically the equivalent of a 1980’s comic book, or a pastiche of violent 1970s and 1980s films. There are some nice directing touches here and there, although they are more in the sub-plots and the post-film credits than in the main plot. Overall, the film has some style, and some over-the-top madness, but it lacks originality and has zero substance.
Not my comment (below), but sums up what I thought after reading up about it, lol, pretty much spot on.
“If this was made in the early 90’s it would’ve starred Van Damme and Lundgren as Vietnam Vets who died and were brought back to life as super soldiers.”
Usually when I see that much vinyl I’m in a record store. It’s still early in terms of it could build a cult following. I’ve never heard of The Guest, is it worth the time?
Yes. Wingard was hailed as the next John Carpenter after it, due to the resemblance to the original Halloween in places. It’s a very different movie from Onslaught, but sets up the premise. Imagine if Michael Meyers had a reason to be what he was? Beyond just “evil”?
In the game “Fortnite: Save the World”, it turns out that the kids at summer camp are just horrible. “People don’t send the kids they want to keep there!”