The film Green Room, which is ostensibly the story of a not very successful punk band playing a gig for a group of Neo-Nazi skinheads, begins and ends on the same beat. There is much to admire about the middle. Here are our Top 5 reasons to watch Green Room, which is now available on Blu-ray.

1. Anton Yelchin.
   The first element of Jeremy Saulnier’s manic Green Room that jumps out at the audience is the real-life tragic passing of its star, Anton Yelchin. The actor is mesmerizing here, even though it’s not really a typical Anton Yelchin role, (his mannerisms are a little bit more restrained). It is hard to watch the film without thinking about the mega-talented 27-year-old and what he accomplished…and what he could have done.
2. The Music.
   And not just the music of the fictional band The Ain’t Rights. Brook Blair and Will Blair create a score that is at once atmospheric and yet does not feel derivative or like it is trying ape a different era. It is modern, cool, and elegant.
3. Patrick Stewart.
   The venerable Patrick Stewart plays a character that is exceptionally different than Captain Picard, Professor X, and any number of Shakespeare parts. The actor’s transformation has been compared to that of Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast, though that performance was a little bit more tightly-wound. His Darcy Banker is a little more soft-spoken, calm, and utterly, utterly terrifying. The septuagenarian still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
4. Red Shoelaces.
   The dangerous Neo-Nazis wear red shoelaces, which gives a whole new meaning to the term “fashion statement”.
5. Macon Blair and Jeremy Saulnier.
   The star and executive producer of Blue Ruin shows up  in Green Room. Though he is slightly less unhinged than in the earlier effort, but his presence is still a present. A huge reason for the success of Green Room is the pairing of Macon Blair and Saulnier. Macon Blair is a co-producer this time, and Saulnier is a very capable director and master craftsman. He helps the film stay focused, (it doesn’t overstay its welcome), and creates a sense of place in this tale set in Northern Oregon. Saulnier is a star in the making.