Static Media
Adam Wingard’s “Onslaught” makes no secret of the movies that shaped it. The film channels a punchy mix of 1980s action, horror, and science fiction, the kind of genre cocktail built for late-night cable and well-worn VHS tapes. Wingard has pointed to James Cameron and John Carpenter as key creative north stars, and his affection for B-movie craftsmanship runs deep. “All my favorite movies are B-movies,” he has said — a sentiment reflected not only in nods to video-store staples like “Assault on Precinct 13” and “Tremors,” but also in the casting of era-defining performers such as Michael Biehn and Reginald VelJohnson, both of whom appear in his new film.
With that DNA in mind, we’ve put together a compact watchlist for anyone who finished “Onslaught” and immediately wanted another dose of the same adrenaline-fueled spirit. Consider it a crash course in retro action-horror thrills, spanning undisputed genre classics and sharper modern entries that carry the same scrappy, high-impact energy. “Onslaught” may be the newest arrival in this lane, but it is very much part of a long and beloved tradition.
From the influence of Cameron and Carpenter to one of Wingard’s own earlier efforts, these five films make ideal follow-ups if “Onslaught” left you hungry for more.
The Terminator
Orion Pictures
The obvious place to begin is “The Terminator.” Although “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” tends to dominate the conversation today — and more clearly points toward the large-scale spectacle James Cameron would later embrace — the 1984 original remains a lean, ruthless masterpiece. It fuses science fiction, action, thriller mechanics, and monster-movie menace with remarkable precision, all driven by an unforgettable ’80s synth score and a shadowy, nocturnal visual style.
If you have never watched it, or if years have passed since your last viewing, “Onslaught” offers the perfect excuse to revisit it. The connection is more than tonal: “Onslaught” actor Michael Biehn, one of Cameron’s most memorable collaborators, co-stars opposite Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose famously machine-like performance works entirely to the film’s advantage. Still, the strongest link between the two movies lies in their momentum, atmosphere, and stripped-down genre intensity.
“Onslaught” pulls loads from “The Terminator,” from the “monster with a gun” choreography of its three villainous super soldiers, to the slow-build and use of the long night as devices for added tension. Both films understand there’s nothing scarier than a man with a gun who can’t be reasoned with, and of course, it only helps the drama when those men aren’t really men at all (at least, not anymore, in the case of “Onslaught”). It’s the damn “Terminator,” yall. What else is there to say?
Assault on Precinct 13
Shout! Factory
There are a lot of different John Carpenter movies that could have easily fit on this list, from “The Fog” to “Escape from New York.” But instead, we’re going to shine a light back on an even earlier Carpenter film that doesn’t get as much attention — “Assault on Precinct 13.”
If you want to talk about “one long night” movies, this has to be part of the conversation. Somewhere between “Dirty Harry” and Carpenter’s impending breakout with “Halloween,” “Assault on Precinct 13” shows a neighborhood falling quickly to the violence of an aggressive street gang. As the local precinct is stripped and prepared to be closed, the killers lay siege to the building in search of vengeance on the cops (and prisoners) still inside, leading to a tense showdown.
The premise itself may not sound like anything special, but as is so often the case with Carpenter, who also wrote and scored the film, it’s the style that makes it pop. Some sources place the budget at just $100,000. The American Film Institute puts it at $200,000. Either way, it was a severely indie operation, yet it oozes style — an early demonstration of Carpenter’s penchant for voyeuristic cinematography, always creeping around a corner or behind a wall, forever holding something back and making you wonder what might be there.
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The press materials for “Onslaught” include a claim from Adam Wingard that “Assault on Precinct 13,” more than any other individual film, was the primary blueprint for “Onslaught.” It shows. So if you watched the latter, what are you waiting for? It’s the perfect opportunity to revisit a classic.
Drive
Bold Films
No film in the last 20 years has evoked that mid-to-low-budget ’80s action/thriller vibe as effectively as “Drive,” directed by Nicolas Winding Refn in 2011 and starring Ryan Gosling in one of the defining roles of his career. A proper neo-noir, complete with Kavinski’s iconic electro tune “Nightcall” (RIP to a real one), the film is a twisting saga of underworld hits, betrayals, vengeance, and love. But like most of the movies on this list, it’s really more about the look, sound, and feel, than the story. And the look, sound, and feel are second to none.
The vista shots of the city at night, the drives down the Pacific Coast Highway, the neon, the headlights, the jacket to end all jackets — “Drive” is often more of a vibe than it is a movie. So it’s all the more impressive that it’s also a hell of a movie, too. With a supporting cast that includes Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, and Oscar Isaac, the film is absolutely stacked, with a healthy helping of kinetic chase scenes and frantic action set pieces to keep the adrenaline high.
While distinctly less in the action/horror niche as “Onslaught” and some of the other films listed here, “Drive” is a natural follow up for its shared love of that ephemeral ’80s energy. And on a budget of just $15 million, it’s also kind of an underdog story.
Planet Terror
Troublemaker Studios
Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror” is closer to outright parodying its influences than “Onslaught,” but both embrace a similar grindhouse style — blood and gore in an old-school, darkly comedic, rubber and goo kind of way. The 2007 film is obviously much more ludicrous at face value, as it’s about a zombie outbreak and the ensuing pandemonium, complete with a whole slew of familiar character archetypes. Then again, “Onslaught” does have a Nazi scientist who’s obsessed with feet, so maybe these are more balanced in their absurdity after all. And wouldn’t you know, Michael Biehn is here again.
Unlike “Drive,” “Planet Terror” is not trying to be “cool” in how it evokes a bygone era of genre cinema. And in fairness, it’s really pulling more from the ’70s than the ’80s. Even still, the combination of secret military experiments, a band of rural small-town survivors, and a general affinity for classic monster flicks permeate both.
“Planet Terror” may not rewrite the genre but it’s a whole lot of fun, marked by the signature flair for gore and chaos that its director is known for. It takes itself less seriously than “Onslaught” does, but when your subject matter is the walking dead, and the poster has a woman with a gun for a leg on it, that’s sort of inevitable.
The Guest
Picturehouse
“The Guest” isn’t just directed by the same guy as “Onslaught,” or written by the same screenwriter, or is a similar story about PTSD and how the damage of war rarely ends when veterans return home. It’s also in the same continuity, even down to being set in the same town, according to Adam Wingard himself.
The 2014 film stars Dan Stevens as a U.S. Army veteran named David, recently returned from war, where he lost his best friend in combat. Distraught, he tracks down his friend’s family and declares his intention to help them out in the wake of the death. Slowly, though, it becomes clear that David isn’t exactly what he seems to be. A series of violent encounters reveals a dark side, with ties back to a series of secret military experiments. And yup, you guessed it, those are (according to Wingard) directly connected to what we see in “Onslaught.”
Given the lore connections between the two, “The Guest” is a natural pick if you enjoy “Onslaught,” but it’s also a solid thriller in its own right.
