The official trailer for Onslaught has been released, giving audiences their first detailed look at director Adam Wingard’s upcoming action thriller. Best known for films like You’re Next and The Guest, Wingard is returning to a familiar world with this new project. While Onslaught tells a fresh story with new characters, the filmmaker has confirmed that it is connected to The Guest, making it an exciting development for fans of the 2014 action thriller.
The trailer introduces a dangerous group of masked attackers who are described as genetically engineered super soldiers. They are shown carrying out violent attacks with incredible speed and precision, creating intense action throughout the film. Wingard compared the movie’s style to turning Friday the 13th into an action film, giving viewers an idea of the fast paced and brutal tone they can expect. The story follows an Army sniper who is forced into a deadly battle after the super soldiers escape into the desert and threaten her young daughter.
Speaking about the connection between the two films, Wingard explained that Onslaught takes place in the same town as The Guest and expands the world introduced in the earlier movie. He said, “I look at this as a cap in the trilogy between The Guest and You’re Next. It’s not like a direct sequel, in the sense that it’s a continuation of those characters, but it takes place in the same town as The Guest. The idea is that the secret programs we’re seeing going on here are other little aspects of the same thing David’s character came from in The Guest.” He further added, “So you could actually technically call this a sequel. It’s in the same universe.”
Onslaught reunites Wingard with writer Simon Barrett, who also worked with him on The Guest. The film stars Adria Arjona in the lead role as the Army sniper determined to protect her daughter. The cast also includes Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Michael Biehn, Reginald VelJohnson, Eric Wareheim, Drew Starkey and Alex “Poatan” Pereira.
Dan Stevens, who played the mysterious former soldier David in The Guest, also appears in Onslaught, further strengthening the connection between the two films. His performance in the 2014 movie earned praise for portraying a man with a hidden agenda who brought chaos to a quiet town.
Onslaught is scheduled to release in theatres on September 4. The film has received an R rating for “Strong bloody violence, some gore, sexual material/nudity, and language.” With its mix of action, suspense and science fiction elements, the movie expands the universe first introduced in The Guest while telling a new story with fresh characters.