Just when you start to think modern riffs of 80s genre cinema has begun getting stale, with the onslaught of hyperviolent, neon lit, synth scored fantasias that have been booming in the American indie scene for the past decade, something will occasionally pop up to remind you just how much fun these flicks can be. VFW is one such film. It’s the kind of bare bones genre exercise that ticks pretty much all the throwback boxes, but once the violent havoc is unleashed, any skepticism I had is thrown out the window, and I had a blast.
The film is written by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle, and directed by Joe Begos, who made the wild and hypnotic Bliss last year. This story takes place in a not-too-distant future where a drug called “hype” has led to an increase in criminal activity that has largely gone uncontrollable. In this setting, we meet a group of Vietnam vets – Fred (Stephen Lang), Walter (William Sadler), Abe (Fred Williamson), Lou (Martin Kove), Doug (David Patrick Kelly), and Thomas (George Wendt) – as well as Shawn (Tom Williamson), who just got out of active duty.
They get together for drinks at their local VFW post, but their plans are interrupted when a young girl, Lizard (Sierra McCormick), bursts through the door, having stolen the last supply of hype from the evil dealer, Boz (Travis Hammer), as retaliation for killing her sister. The vets decide to help the girl, but that makes them a target for Boz, who practically has an army of junkies willing to do whatever to get their next hit. What ensues is a 90 minute siege film where the vets work together to fend off the gang as they try to enter the bar to retrieve their stolen goods and kill everyone inside.
Having seen Bliss, it’s not hard to notice Begos’ unabashed affinity for the kind of sleazy, low budget genre films of the 80s, but what is impressive is how he captures those aesthetics, utilizing them for stories set in the modern day, and not coming across as awkward or tacky. He nails that dark, grungy vibe so well, which is also in large part due to his continued collaboration with cinematographer, Mike Testin, and composer, Steve Moore. When the gore hits, that’s when you know the film means business, and the icky effects and makeup work is incredibly satisfying to watch.
The film sets up a compelling world in the vein of the original Mad Max, where society is still technically functional, but it’s just on the verge of completely falling apart. The little bits that we seen in the outside, especially in Boz’s headquarters contains some solid, grimy production design. The setup is a clear nod to the likes of John Carpenter’s Assault On Precinct 13, while the violence itself seems more rooted in the likes of stuff you’d see in a Cannon or Troma film. The tension and escalation is very well done, and it moves at good pace that removes any potential fat from the story.
Where the film really shines is in the cast. Our grizzled bunch is made up of some of our finest character actors, each of whom bring an entire history to these characters through presence alone – along with our built-in affection through watching their work for many years. Everyone gets a moment to shine, but Lang is the clear highlight. In the few moments of introspection, he brings a sense of complexity and emotional weight that really catches you by surprise. He knows how to sell those quiet moments in between the gruesome action beats, especially when it touches on the idea of how a soldier never stops being a soldier. When Lizard says she didn’t ask for anyone’s help, Walter tells her that she didn’t have to, there was a sense of obligation. It’s almost second nature for these men to be in the midst of such ugly chaos, and fulfilling that obligation almost seems to give them a sense of purpose they have otherwise seemed to lack in their years after the war.
But at the end of the day, what you want from a film like VFW – the kills, the gore, the style, it totally delivers without wasting an ounce of your time. Begos has a firm grasp on what makes movies like this so engaging in terms of his precise craftsmanship, but one element the film nails in particular is the dynamic between the characters, and how they ultimately connect with us as the audience. The cast is very natural together, their banter is endearing, and when something bad happens to them, you do genuinely feel bad. However, it’s still just a ton of fun to watch from beginning to end, practically begging to be seen with a big rowdy crowd. It’s midnight movie pulp at its finest.