History Film / Overlord2018

* ShownTheirWork: [[spoiler: Rosenfeld]] fires a captured MG-34, though their accuracy and rate of fire leaves much to be desired, and they must clear jams frequently. When Tibbet criticizes their shooting, they correctly point out that the MG-34 is supposed to be crewed by ''two'' soldiers, one to aim and shoot, with the other to reload, ensure the rounds feed correctly, and change the barrel when it [[{{Overheating}} overheats]].

* RealityEnsues: Most of the paratroopers (including ultra-badass Sergeant Rensin, although ''he'' at least makes it to the ground in one piece) are killed when the plane is riddled with flak-fire and ripped in half over the jump zone. Only a handful of men are able to link up on the ground and avoid the German patrols, and Corporal Ford has to take over the mission because he’s the only NCO that even makes it that far.

Not to be confused with a completely different film, ''Film/{{Overlord|1975}}'' (1975), or with any other work named after Operation Overlord.

** Ford's primary characterization in the film is as a hardass soldier who reminds his men that they have a job to do, and whatever the Nazis are doing under the church has nothing to do with their mission. [[spoiler:When it comes for him to die, Ford has recognized the horrors of what's going on and orders Boyce to not let anyone, not even their own side, have the serum.]]

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Not only does the film indulge in some ArtisticLicenseHistory by racially integrating the paratrooper unit, but all of the white soldiers seem to be colorblind, as not one of them brings up the race of their sergeant, Dawson, or Boyce. The only problem they have with Boyce is his lackluster conduct during basic training.

* NaziZombies: Subverted. [[spoiler:The plan is indeed to create "thousand year soldiers" for the "thousand year Reich", but none of the creatures we see are actually zombies in the traditional sense, or even Nazis. Even Wafner wasn't dead when he injects himself with the serum.]]

* TwoFistedTales: The movie has a very pulp adventure magazine feeling to it.

* ShownTheirWork: [[spoiler: Rosenfeld]] fires a captured MG-34, though his accuracy and rate of fire leaves much to be desired, and he must clear jams frequently. When Tibbet criticizes his shooting, they correctly point out that the MG-34 is supposed to be crewed by ''two'' soldiers, one to aim and shoot, with the other to reload, ensure the rounds feed correctly, and change the barrel when it [[{{Overheating}} overheats]].

* FourEyesZeroSoul: Dr. Schmidt, Nazi scientist who wears a small pair of glasses.

* DeadStarWalking: Bokeem Woodbine is the biggest name in the cast, and his character dies before they even reach the village when he is gunned down by German troops in front of Boyce.

''Overlord'' is a WWII action-supernatural-horror movie released November 3, 2018, starring Jovan Adepo, Pilou Asbæk, Creator/WyattRussell, and Bokeem Woodbine, from [[Creator/{{Paramount}} Paramount Pictures]], produced by Creator/JJAbrams and directed by Julius Avery.

* EvilIsPetty: One of the German soldiers spits a loogie on Paul's baseball [[ForTheEvulz just to be an asshole.]]

''Overlord'' is a 2018 WWII action-supernatural-horror movie starring Jovan Adepo, Pilou Asbæk, Creator/WyattRussell, and Bokeem Woodbine, from [[Creator/{{Paramount}} Paramount Pictures]], produced by Creator/JJAbrams and directed by Julius Avery.

''Overlord'' is a 2018 WWII action-supernatural-horror movie starring Jovan Adepo, Pilou Asbæk, Wyatt Russell, and Bokeem Woodbine, from [[Creator/{{Paramount}} Paramount Pictures]], produced by Creator/JJAbrams and directed by Julius Avery.

''Overlord'' is a 2018 WWII action-supernatural-horror movie from [[Creator/{{Paramount}} Paramount Pictures]], produced by Creator/JJAbrams and directed by Julius Avery.

* WhamShot: The first sign that there's something messed up in the compound beneath the church is when Boyce hears a voice behind a curtain and pulls it back to reveal [[spoiler:a ''still-living'' severed human head]].

* PetTheDog:
** After spending several scenes annoyed by Paul's attention, during the climax, Tibbet runs out during a hail of enemy gunfire to pick him up from hiding behind a car to get him to safe cover, getting non-fatally shot in the back in the process.

** Tibbet is a SirSwearsALot who's exasperated by what he perceives as the incompetence of his fellow soldiers, and the young Paul for some reason taking a liking to him, in spite of the language barrier. Ultimately, he has a soft-spot for both and is willing to put his life on the line to protect them, even if he's teasingly condescending about it, even [[spoiler: running through a hail of gunfire to pick up Paul and get him behind cover, getting shot in the back in the process. He lives.]]

* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler:Ford's decision to torture Wafner for information is frowned upon by Boyce, but it's impossible to feel bad for the facist bastard as Chloe stabs him in the leg and Ford wails on him.]]

* LosingYourHead: One of the Nazi experiments that Boyce finds in the lab is [[spoiler:a woman's severed head and spine, [[FateWorseThanDeath still]] [[AndIMustScream alive]] and begging for help.]]

* MinorCrimeRevealsMajorPlot: Mission to destroy German radio tower --> [[spoiler: Nazi experiments to produce undead super-soldiers]].

* NotSoStoic: Ford tries to apply UnusuallyUninterestingSight to everything around him, from the horrors of the battlefield to his own men dying in front of him. But even he's just as horrified as everybody else in the room when [[spoiler: Chase comes back to life after Boyce administers the serum. And that's even ''before'' the side effects begin to kick in...]]

* OracularHead: Boyce encounters one of these when exploring the lab, and he is pretty freaked out by it. The head is of a French woman who begs for help.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: [[spoiler:The people the Nazis experiment on are explicitly stated to have been dead and brought back to life by Schmidt's serum, but CameBackWrong with healing factors, SuperStrength, and gruesome BodyHorror. Some of the experiments seen near the end of the film, while not that mutated, noticeably wander like traditional zombies. The serum itself isn't communicable through bites, and instead is derived from an unknown black tar that has been processed through the blood of the "volunteers". They are also ''not'' put down by shooting them in the head, instead requiring significantly more drastic measures.]]

** After spending several scenes annoyed by Paul's attention, during the climax, he runs out during a hail of enemy gunfire to pick him up from hiding behind a car to get him to safe cover, getting non-fatally shot in the back in the process.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Not only does the film indulge in some ArtisticLicenseHistory by integrating the paratrooper unit, but all of the white soldiers seem to be colorblind, as not one of them brings up the race of their sergeant, Dawson, or Boyce. The only problem they have with Boyce is his lackluster conduct during basic training.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Our heroes who are going up against a small army. Lampshaded when Chase says, "There's a lot of soldiers out there and there's only four of us," and that was even ''before'' they took on the compound.

* RealityEnsues: Most of the paratroopers (including ultra-badass Sergeant Rensin, although ''he'' at least makes it to the ground in one piece) are killed when the plane is riddled with flak-fire and ripped in half over the jump zone. Only a handful men are able to link up on the ground and avoid the German patrols, and Corporal Ford has to take over the mission because he’s the only NCO that even makes it that far.

** [[spoiler:When Wafner attempts to rape Chloe, Boyce defies orders and stops him from going through with it, risking his squad to detection by taking an officer hostage but fully gaining Chloe's trust.]]

* ShownTheirWork: [[spoiler: Rosenfeld]] fires a captured MG-34, though his accuracy and rate of fire leaves much to be desired, and he must clear jams frequently. He correctly points out that the MG-34 is supposed to be crewed by two soldiers, one to shoot and the other to reload, ensure the rounds feed correctly, and change the barrel when it [[{{Overheating}} overheats]].

* SuperSoldier: The intended result of the German experiments with the unknown substance they found and turned into a serum. It does enhance physicality and durability, but it has the problem of making the recipients go insane. At least, the initial batches. When Wafner takes an updated dosage, he maintains his normal intelligence, probably because he wasn't dead when he injected himself.

* SupportingLeader: First Rensin and then Ford end up in charge of the unit, but main character is Boyce, who's under their command.

* VomitIndiscretionShot: A particularly long one shortly after the plane is hit at the beginning of the film.

* WeNeedADistraction: To provide an opening for Boyce, Ford, and Chloe to sneak into the church, they launch an attack on its main entrance, including turning a German soldier into an unwitting suicide bomber.

* AdultFear: [[spoiler:All thanks to young Paul being a fairly wide-eyed, innocent little kid living in a Nazi-occupied village where horrific science experiments are taking place. The fear gets cranked up when he's taken hostage by Wafner and the next time we see him, he's strapped to a lab table, meaning Schmidt was definitely planning to do some terrible things to the poor kid.]]

* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:By the end, only three of the large unit (Boyce, Rosenfeld, and Tibbet) are left alive.]]

* AttemptedRape: If being an SS officer wasn't enough of a tip that Wafner is a nasty piece of work, his first real onscreen action is threatening to have Paul sent to the church if Chloe doesn't have sex with him. Boyce stops him, but it's clear by Chloe's revulsion he's been more successful in the past.

* AxCrazy: Wafner becomes even more insane [[spoiler: after injecting himself with the serum. In fact, his SanitySlippage comes hand in hand with him becoming more and more injured, as if it’s healing power works on being CastFromSanity.]]
* BadassNormal: The main characters, given that they end up going against a Nazi SuperSoldier project.

* BloodierAndGorier: Than any other movie from J.J. Abrams or Bad Robot Productions.
* BodyHorror: There's a lot of it in this movie. Nazis + human experimentation + figuring out the secret to still be alive even when a big chunk of your face is blown off = this.

* CameBackWrong: To a greater extent than usual in zombie films, as Ford explicitly tells Boyce that [[spoiler:Chase died the moment his heart stopped beating even if the serum brought him back to life physically]]. In general, this seems to be the case with those [[spoiler:injected with the serum. As injuries pile up, the immense power needed to keep them moving takes a toll on their sanity until, as in the case of Wafner, they are nothing more than snarling beasts]].

** The flamethrowers.
** Wafner's lighter.

* CowardlyLion: Boyce is the subject of many taunts and insults due to his perceived cowardice and unwillingness to take a life. It doesn't change the fact that he's in the field and fighting alongside other soldiers, but is more concerned with saving lives than taking them.

* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: [[spoiler:Chase]], after being injected with the serum. First, he accidentally tosses a fully grown man across the room. Then, he shatters a support pillar with his head. Then he breaks his own neck. Then the really freaky stuff starts happening to him.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Everyone gets one on the plane. Tibbet is caustic. Chase is amiable and more concerned with photographs then fighting. Ford is distant and gruff. Boyce is meek.

-->'''Pilou Asbaek''': You know what? It's actually a good line. I've been using it and quoting myself. You know, every single time when you've finished a film, there's always one line where you go, "Okay, this is so over the top" -- especially in Overlord, which is destined to be over the top. And that is exactly that line. '''"How does it feel… the blood of eternity…''' '''''flowing through your veins?'''''"'' How do you get away with saying something like that? That's why I love it so much.

* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Chase]] [[CameBackWrong after being revived by the tar.]]
* FacialHorror: Wafner is [[spoiler:shot in the face, leaving his mug torn apart for about half the film.]]

* AFatherToHisMen: Sergeant Rensin's reaction to their transport plane being barely in a single piece, ablaze and taking a nose-dive? Staying clear-headed, issuing orders and making sure all of his still alive men deploy out of the flaming inferno, even if he has to personally drag them out. This is ''sharply'' contrasted with Corporal Ford, who is there to do his mission first, second and last, body count be damned.

* FourEyesZeroSoul: Dr. Schmidt.

* AGodAmI: [[spoiler:Wafner, after injecting himself with the serum.]]

* IronicEcho: [[spoiler:Given both ways. Ford beats the everloving shit out of Wafner to gather information about the Nazi compound they're about to storm. When they face off again, Wafner beats the everloving shit out of Ford in return. Ford, like Wafer did before, retorts with "Fuck you."]]

** Tibbet is a SirSwearsALot who's exasperated by what he perceives as the incompetence of his fellow soldiers, and Paul for some reason taking a liking to him. Ultimately, he has a soft-spot for both and is willing to put his life on the line to protect them, even if he's teasingly condescending about it, even [[spoiler: running through a hail of gunfire to pick up Paul and get him behind cover, getting shot in the back in the process. He lives.]]

* JustHitHim: After Wafner gains SuperStrength, he spends a lot of the film simply tossing our men around rather than just breaking their bones with a punch or snapping their necks.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Not only does the film indulge in some ArtisticLicenseHistory by integrating the paratrooper unit, but all of the white soldiers seem to be colorblind, as not one of them brings up the race of their sergeant or Boyce. The only problem they have with Boyce is his lackluster conduct during basic training.

* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: [[spoiler:Eldson]]: "Any of you guys got a cigarette? Goddamn last re-"

** Corporal Ford, the leader of the paratrooper squad. He always maintains his composure even when the others panic, and racks up a huge body count of German soldiers with his trusty carbine. Probably his best feat is [[spoiler:[[HeroicResolve pulling himself off of a meat hook he's trapped on]] gritting his teeth through the agonizing pain, injecting himself with some SuperSerum, and taking on the super-powered BigBad in hand-to-hand combat, before [[TakingYouWithMe killing himself along with all the other test subjects with bunch of C4]] in a HeroicSacrifice.]]

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: The US Armed Forces were segregated during World War II, and African-American soldiers fought in all-black units like the Tuskegee Airmen or the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/761st_Tank_Battalion_(United_States) 761st Tank Battalion]]. This means that Boyce and Dawson, who are both black, would very much ''not'' be in an Airborne unit in Europe, and Dawson certainly wouldn't be leading a combat jump over Normandy. There was only one regiment of black paratroopers during the war, the 555th Parachute Infantry, who were barred from combat and instead spent the war fighting forest fires sparked by Japanese balloon bombs in the Pacific Northwest.