While director Adam Wingard became a bit of a household name after Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, early fans of his work know him better for his indie horror and thriller films. Hits like You’re Next and The Guest made audiences fall in love with his work. Now, he’s returned to indie horror with Onslaught, an exciting action-packed thriller written by Wingard’s frequent collaborator, Simon Barrett (You’re Next, The Guest). The film follows a single mother named Celeste and her young daughter. When a trio of rogue super soldiers escape the lab, it’s up to Celeste to defend her home and protect her child.

For many Wingard fans, Onslaught has been a hotly anticipated release in 2026. This film feels like a return to form for the director, adding another entry to his cinematic universe in which the films are connected by the fictional defense contractor, KPG. The film begins by allowing the audience to get to know the characters. Celeste is an Army veteran and single mother working as a landlord at a rural trailer park. She’s a bit of a mess and clearly dealing with PTSD after her time in the military, but she undoubtly loves her daughter, Daisy. What should be a normal weekend visit with Daisy quickly turns into a fight for survival after three genetically altered super soldiers escape an experiment from a nearby facility and head straight to Celeste’s trailer park. Onslaught is action packed and full of carnage, but Barrett managed to slip plenty of humorous moments into the script as well.

There is no denying Onslaught is fun, violent, and highly entertaining. Digging a bit deeper, the film also incorporates some interesting themes and messages. Most notably is commentary on PTSD. Obviously Celeste, as a former soldier, is dealing with this. The audience sees her experience flashbacks, shakes, and unhealthy coping mechanisms to get through each day. Even the three super soldiers, known as The Butcher, The Crybaby, and The Cockroach, suffered extreme versions of PTSD that led to psychotic breaks. With what we learn about these three men, it begs the question why they were chosen to be experimented on when they’re obviously most likely to rebel. When it comes to the experiments, Wingard and Barrett added a German angle to make the unethical aspects of trying to create a perfect, unstoppable soldier even more apparent. While these are all interesting elements of the plot, it also feels like they weren’t explored quite enough. The film ends up just touching the surface of the more interesting themes, so the story can be a bit shallow, leading to a slightly anticlimactic ending. That being said, this is still a wildly entertaining viewing experience that hopefully leads to Wingard making more films in his KPG universe.

Between the more serious performances to the wildly weird and funny ones, Onslaught‘s cast delivers a little something for everyone. Adria Arjona (Blink Twice, Andor) stars as Celeste. Celeste is a mess, living a solitary life in the middle of nowhere, drinking, collecting guns, and barely able to take care of herself. Despite this, Arjona makes it abundantly clear this character can step up when things get tough and will stop at nothing to protect the ones she loves. There is zero doubt Arjona is destined to be an action star, and her portrayal of Celeste proves she can do that while also portraying a complicated, layered character. While Arjona is the definitive star of Onslaught, there are still many great performances from actors in smaller roles. Reginald VelJohnson (Die Hard) and Eric Wareheim (Master of None) play hilarious fellow residents at the trailer park, injecting some much needed humor to the action. Audiences get a double-dose of weirdness from two very different characters thanks to Dan Stevens (The Guest) and Drew Starkey (Hellraiser). Other memorable performances come from Blake Kennedy (The Glory), Rebecca Hall (The Night House), and Michael Biehn (Aliens).

Some things fans can always expect from a Wingard film are amazing set pieces, fantastic practical effects, and killer music. Luckily, this is also true of Onslaught. When it comes to the visuals, the first thing fans will likely notice is the production design. From the subtle nods to The Guest and the elaborate sets created for some of the most violent action sequences, there is a clear artistic style Wingard carries throughout this film, as well as his previous work. The cinematography helps bring to life Wingard’s vision as well. There are some incredible shots, especially of the super soldiers, that look like works of art to be hung on the wall. While the carnage and gore in Onslaught might be a bit more understated than most modern action films, it still looks fantastic and disturbingly realistic. When it comes to the sounds of the film, audiences are sure to quickly take notice of the head-bopping synth score composed by Matthew Pusti (Heart of Batman). It enhances the action and honors the sci-fi roots of the plot. The film also incorporates a number of catchy songs to deliver a great soundtrack for the bloodshed. Even the sound design lends to the appeal of the film, enhancing specific sounds to draw the viewer’s focus to specific, often smaller details. It all blends to bring to life the iconic look and sound audiences will expect of a Wingard film.

With Onslaught, Wingard took what he created with The Guest and injected it with super soldier steroids. While the plot seems to be a bit more surface level than Wingard and Barrett’s previous collaborations, this is still a delightfully compelling thriller filled with hyper-violent action. It feels a bit more cheeky and playful than a lot of action movies these days, which will no doubt appeal to audiences looking for something different and funny to see on the big screen. Arjona carries the film on her back, and she proves she is a true action star. While she is the heart of the film, the other smaller roles and performances definitely leave a lasting impression. The visuals are iconic, the music is fantastic, and there’s plenty of blood and gore to go around. For a good time, be sure to see Onslaught exclusively in theaters beginning Friday, September 4th.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10