One of the cult’s members apparently showed remorse and trepidation at his leader’s wicked actions and rebelled (though he is shown to have committed suicide before the protagonist’s arrival). The cult is depicted in a vague sense as a “Transcendentalist” group, and are implied to have been driven mad or coerced into serving the cosmic entity that is behind the film’s dark events. Positive Content: Although the film’s most visible antagonists are a religious cult, the film does not use this as a mechanism to malign religion. The film doesn’t attempt to paint this setting as an accurate real-world analogue. This “Lovecraftian” setting is disassociated from reality and demoralizes the viewer (granted, it’s for the purpose of “a good scare”) and has no place in the real world’s balance of good vs. Despite providing a worthy opponent for heroic humans, the film’s plot (and the SCP setting as a whole) give an ultimately hopeless picture of humanity besieged by malign, cosmic entities. The film’s antagonistic presence is an “anomaly”, a force of cosmic horror. Overlord features generally disturbing imagery, including an (abstract) burning effigy, masked cultists, and dark backdrops. Jesus’ name is used a few times with other sporadic language. One death is especially sudden and graphic as a character is knifed in the neck and bleeds out. The film contains graphic violence and a handful of deaths. Furthermore, the actions taken by Foundation agents in the film are relatively tame typical SCP fiction gives us a darker image of the amoral Foundation. It should be noted that, outside of the film, the ethics of the SCP Foundation are hotly debated within the fictional setting. This is thought-provoking and raises questions: what measures are right to take for the safety of others? What if the threat is overpowering and incredibly deadly (as in the film)? Is it morally permissible to keep others safe against their will? What if that means abrogating their freedom of speech, thought, and movement? They are answerable to no one and are virtually invisible to the average citizen. While sometimes police, military, and government forces take drastic action to achieve (hopefully) positive goals, the fundamental difference is that the SCP Foundation works without the consent of the governed. The Foundation takes serious actions outside the rule of law and without the consent of those affected the list of operations mentioned in the film alone include: detaining bystanders and witnesses, manipulating and recording police proceedings, and large-scale use of mind-wiping chemicals to remove or manipulate sensitive data from witnesses. Questionable Content: It’s implicit in the film (but explicit in SCP fiction) that the Foundation is operating extrajudicially. All this is made more impressive in light of Overlord being an “indie” film.
#SCP OVERLORD HOW TO#
The producers used appropriate discretion and reserve when choosing how to accentuate scenes with or without music. The music in the film is mostly white noise and ambient drone, while percussive or horn accents are used to accompany moments of tension. The producers seem to have researched and practiced real-world techniques for police and SWAT operations, though I’m not well-informed enough to say if the procedures used are entirely authentic. Only occasionally does the voice acting fall short. The body acting is natural and clearly well-rehearsed. The sets – the deep forests of New England and a rural farmhouse – are well chosen, vividly real, and serve to heighten the tension. Production Quality: There’s no doubt that SCP: Overlord is a quality production. There are moderate spoilers in my review. However, this is a review for Overlord alone, and not the SCP Project. In my review I will refer to elements of SCP fiction that are not made explicit within the film. SCP: Overlord can be enjoyed without knowledge of the minutiae of SCP canon however, the film makes more sense when the overall project is taken into account.
#SCP OVERLORD PROFESSIONAL#
The directors, writers, and contributors to this film have produced fan films based on this fictional setting before, but Overlord goes to unprecedented lengths to produce a complete and professional screenplay.
It’s based loosely on a body of internet fiction called the SCP Project, which revolves around a fictional worldwide organization (the SCP Foundation) dedicated to cataloguing, containing, and defending against anomalous forces and entities – at any cost. The film is a 35-minute thriller with surreal and cosmic horror elements. SCP: Overlord is an independently produced YouTube film directed by Stephen Hancock and written by Evan Muir. Johannes Bergsma's review of SCP: OVERLORD Date last edited: 10-03-2021 at 10:16 AM
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