--- title: "Onslaught: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/onslaught/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/onslaught" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Onslaught (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 13 reviews: 5 positive, 4 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews split almost evenly, and few critics are indifferent. Most agree Adria Arjona holds the film together as a veteran single mother turned one-woman army, and that Adam Wingard is more comfortable at this scale than in his recent studio work. The craft draws steady credit: polished, efficient direction, a synth-heavy John Carpenter homage, and violence that several reviewers find satisfyingly bloody. Where they part is on whether there is anything underneath. The sceptics find the script undercooked and the villains faceless, and The New York Times and Vulture judge its politics of forever wars gestured at rather than argued. The Wrap complains the promised mayhem keeps failing to arrive. The spread is wide: /Film hails it as a worthy heir to Carpenter, while Polygon thinks the political point lands. Whether it has a brain seems to depend on how much the viewer wants one. ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating B. 31 August 2026. The critic calls it a well-crafted B-movie that delivers super-soldier slasher goods but is too enamored with its set-up and world-building, offering limited payoff and human interest. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/onslaught-review) ## IndieWire — Wilson Chapman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2026. The review highlights Wingard's return to basics with a lean military slasher inspired by John Carpenter, praising Arjona as a protective veteran mother in a thriller with strong genre roots. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/onslaught-review-adria-arjona-1235212736/) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2026. Adam Wingard’s military slasher is a fun but scattered elevated genre romp that needs another draft to tighten its structure. It is counterbalanced by midnight verve and visceral violence that makes it just about worthwhile. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/onslaught-review-1236846021/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2026. The film is a decent but restrained B-movie that showcases Wingard’s polished style without delivering enough gonzo fun or inventive set pieces. Arjona’s committed lead performance as the resourceful single mother is singled out as a highlight amid the sanitised action and slasher elements. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/aug/31/onslaught-movie-review-adria-arjona-adam-wingard) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2026. The critic praises the film's vivid details, craftsmanship, and Arjona's performance as a relatable lead but finds the narrative undercooked with unfulfilled promise and underdeveloped villains. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/onslaught-review-adria-arjona-dan-stevens-adam-wingard-1236682893/) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2026. The return to indie horror is disappointing and generic despite its stylish references and gore. It piles up 1980s homages but lacks the brain or fun to make the one-woman-army story worthwhile. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-09-04/onslaught-review-adria-arjona-dan-stevens-rebecca-hall-adam-wingard) ## RogerEbert.com — Simon Abrams Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2026. The film is an empty-headed siege picture that feels like a dated 1980s B-movie rehash without meaningful contemporary context. It delivers familiar genre tropes and polished action but lacks memorable characters or novel ideas. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/onslaught-adria-arjona-dan-stevens-adam-wingard-movie-review-2026) ## The New York Times — Alissa Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2026. The gory tribute to 1980s B-movies tries but fails to make a coherent political statement about forever wars. It revels in bloodshed without building a world worth dwelling in beyond the violence. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/movies/onslaught-review.html) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2026. The critic finds the film a too-slick, anemic grindhouse wannabe that lacks emotional engine or distinct characters, with sterile violence and unfulfilled political themes despite bloody set pieces. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-onslaught-is-all-blood-no-guts.html) ## /Film — Ryan Scott Rating 9/10. 31 August 2026. The critic calls it a wild, bloody action movie that feels like the greatest John Carpenter film Carpenter never made, with an unabashedly violent, synth-draped homage to 80s genre fare including Assault on Precinct 13 and The Terminator. Praise is singled out for the efficient direction, casting (especially Adria Arjona), and Wingard thriving in his low-budget comfort zone after big studio films. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2242809/onslaught-review/) ## Polygon — Jake Kleinman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2026. The critic praises the film's gory, stylish action as a grindhouse throwback blending Terminator, Kill Bill, and John Carpenter influences, with Adria Arjona shining as a chainsaw-wielding lead. They single out its relevant political message about government violence boomeranging back on citizens as what elevates it beyond a simple remix. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/onslaught-review-2026/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4 out of 5. 31 August 2026. The critic praises the film's stylish action and Arjona's badass performance as a mother fighting super soldiers, likening it to John Carpenter vibes, while noting its blend of B-movie thrills with deeper themes of trauma. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/onslaught-review-adria-arjona-john-carpenter/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2026. The critic finds the film disappointing as it repeatedly promises action and mayhem that never fully materializes, with poor pacing and underdeveloped characters. Adria Arjona's performance and some stylistic choices by the cinematographer are singled out positively. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/onslaught-review-adria-arjona-dan-stevens/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/onslaught.md