J. J. Abrams' Forgotten 2018 Sci-Fi War Movie Is A Hidden Gem On Prime Video

Audiences had no idea what they were in for when they went to the theaters in 2018 to see "Overlord," a sci-fi war film produced by J.J. Abrams. The movie was directed by Julius Avery, the Australian director who would later go on to make "The Pope's Exorcist" (and its 199 sequels, if the director gets his way). In 2018, though, "Overlord" was only his second feature film, so fans wouldn't have known that they were in for an over-the-top, campy, goopy-gory good time — but they can now find out on Prime Video, where this hidden gem is streaming.

"Overlord" is about a World War II squadron on a mission behind enemy lines, hoping to knock out a crucial radio tower that will cripple the Nazis' ability to communicate in the waning days of the war. Instead, when their plane is shot down, they find themselves trapped in a small town where not all is what it seems. Instead of your average Aryan racists, the Americans find themselves battling an aggressive army of the undead. The Nazis were known for their grotesque science experiments during the war, and "Overlord" draws its horror from the lengths to which the Germans might have gone to win, had zombies been real.

Unfortunately, the movie was a bomb upon release — and we're not just talking about the electrifying air-raid sequence that opens the film. "Overlord" barely grossed $41 million worldwide against a reported $38 million budget, which is a shame: currently sitting at 82% "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, it's a great little period horror thriller that deserves a fresh look.

Before it was released, the involvement of producer J.J. Abrams had fans speculating that "Overlord" might turn out to secretly be an entry in Abrams' fan-favorite "Cloverfield" franchise. After all, in 2017, the writer behind "God Particle" learned that his movie had become "The Cloverfield Paradox," a Netflix follow-up to the theatrical movies "Cloverfield" and "10 Cloverfield Lane." At the end of "The Cloverfield Paradox," fans learned that these experiments had apparently been going on for a long time, and it was only natural to wonder if Abrams' secretive next project would expand the universe.

Unfortunately, the speculation was wrong: ahead of the release of "Overlord," J.J. Abrams said at the Las Vegas film exhibition showcase CinemaCon that the film was not connected to the "Cloverfield" franchise, and while he did promise that a fourth "Cloverfield" movie was in the works, as of this writing it has yet to materialize. 

There are no overt nods to the "Cloverfield" universe in "Overlord," but it's easy to see where they might have been grafted on to this story about monster creation. All we would have needed was a Slusho mention or a nod to the Tagruato Corporation — but director Julius Avery wasn't interested in linking up with Abrams' larger universe. He told Gizmodo that he didn't mind the speculation, however, saying, "This is its own beast but it's great that everyone was showing a lot of interest in it."

Though we couldn't have known it in 2018, "Overlord" is especially fun to look back on now because so many members of the cast have gone on to much greater levels of fame. Wyatt Russell played Corporal Lewis Ford, a highly efficient killer. "Back then, it was like, this guy was like a pharmacist from Wyoming before he went over there. Through experience he became that way," Russell told ComingSoon.net. "You need that guy who was in a moral gray area to win wars." In contrast to the "Overlord" villains his character fought, Russell later played a super-soldier, starring as John Walker in Marvel's "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "Thunderbolts*."

PFC Boyce was portrayed by Jovan Adepo, who had already charmed critics in "Fences" when he starred in "Overlord." He went on to be a regular on streaming television, including well-received roles in Netflix's "3 Body Problem" and HBO Max's "It: Welcome to Derry."

"Stranger Things" fans will be delighted to notice that this was actually the feature film debut of Joseph Quinn, who broke out several years later as Eddie Munson. In addition to parts in hits like "A Quiet Place: Day One" and "Fantastic Four: First Steps," Quinn played a soldier again in Alex Garland's "Warfare," a 2025 war movie with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score that also deserves a spot on your watchlist.