A24's New John Carpenter-Like Action-Thriller Secures Solid Rotten Tomatoes Score

Published Sep 2, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour. With just a couple of days left until it's released in theaters, the new film Onslaught has debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a solid critic score. The action/horror thriller comes out on September 24 from A24, the same studio behind Backrooms and the upcoming film Primetime, which stars Robert Pattinson as To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen. A24's latest is Onslaught, which centers on an Army sniper who does everything possible to save her child after genetically engineered soldiers flee a secret facility. Critics have now had the chance to screen Onslaught, and the film is debuting on Rotten Tomatoes with a solid score of 73%. Early reviews call the thriller eccentric, entertaining, violent, gritty, and satisfying with high-octane energy. One critic described Onslaught as a mashup of Terminator and Quentin Tarantino's movies, while another said that director Adam Wingard clearly took inspiration from the likes of John Carpenter, the filmmaker behind Halloween, Escape from New York, Escape from L.A., The Fog, The Thing and Christine. Screen Rant's Brandon Zachary called Onslaught a "well-constructed" film with slick execution that favors style over substance. While Onslaught has received mostly positive reviews so far, not everyone is on board with what Wingard has created. Some critics criticized the thriller, saying it lacked tension and was unpleasant to watch. Before helming this new horror thriller, Wingard had directed Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which grossed $470 million and $572 million, respectively. Instead of directing the next installment, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, he chose to direct Onslaught since the production schedules prevented him from working on both. Wingard's credits also include Home Sick, You're Next, The Guest, Blair Witch and Death Note, and he executive-produced the TV series Outcast. Marking Wingard's first feature-length project in two years, Onslaught stars Adria Arjona as the Army sniper at the center of the film. Her co-stars are Alex Pereira, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall, Maurice Greene, Blake Kennedy and Jacob Scipio. Onslaught is being released in theaters a week after The Dog Stars and Coyote vs. Acme, and has to contend with the continued success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey and Insidious: Out of the Further. Outside of blockbusters, the horror genre has proven very popular in theaters, with hits like Backrooms, Obsession, Scary Movie, and Scream 7, so Onslaught enters the scene in good company, no matter how well it performs at the box office. Onslaught will be released in theaters on Friday, September 4, 2026. Release Date September 4, 2026 Runtime 92 Minutes Director Adam Wingard Writers Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard Producers Aaron Ryder, Adam Wingard, Alexander Black, Andrew Swett, Jeremy Platt, Simon Barrett