When most people think of the late, truly great Sir Patrick Stewart, they think of either Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation or as Professor Charles Xavier from the X-Men movies. There’s good reason for that, as the actor is incredible in both roles. But over his expansive career, Stewart brought to life countless other characters, turning in incredible and memorable performances every time. There is one such performance, however, that is easily his best but it’s so unlike anything else he did and it’s absolutely chilling.
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In 2016, Stewart starred in Green Room, a small budget, independent horror thriller written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier. The film’s premise is pretty straightforward: a punk band ends up in a deadly situation when they take a gig at a remote Portland-area club that turns out to be a haven for neo-Nazis. When they witness a murder, the band is attacked by the skinheads, turning what should have been a simple gig into a fight for survival. The film was considered by many critics as one of the best of 2016 but a huge part of that is owed to Stewart, whose role as the club owner will haunt you long after the credits roll.
Stewart’s Darcy Banker Is a Far Cry From Professor X
While all of the neo-Nazis in Green Room are villains and chilling, it’s Stewart’s Darcy Banker who might just be the most evil of them all. Darcy not only owns the bar that is essentially the lair and center of operations for the skinheads and their criminal operation, but he’s also the leader — and a sadistic one at that. Now, sadistic characters are pretty common in thrillers, and it’s not much of a stretch that a neo-Nazi character would be sadistic. What sets Darcy apart is that Stewart brings the weight of the other authority figure roles he’s known for to the vile character, but twists. As you’re watching Darcy actively create chaos and suffering, the same charisma you already know makes it all too easy to understand why he’s got so much power. When you realize that, when you feel yourself being drawn to that, it makes how twisted and horrific Darcy is even more terrifying.
It also makes the brutality Stewart exhibits as Darcy even more shocking. The idea of “what if Picard went evil” doesn’t quite scratch the surface of what Stewart pulls off her — this is a much darker, deeper foray into hell with a character that has absolutely zero redeeming value — but it’s just such a mind melt. This is pure evil personified and Stewart does it with ease. The actor even explained at the time that the evil of Darcy is what drew him to the role. The character might be pure nightmare fuel, but Stewart does it well. And it’s a performance that pulls the rest of the film with it. That’s not a dig about the quality of the rest of the movie — Green Room is an uncomfortable but brilliant movie with a lot of strong performances, including the late Anton Yelchin who died just a few months after the film’s release. But Stewart brings it all together. If you ask me, he should have gotten an Oscar nomination for the performance. It’s that good, in all its horrific glory.
We’ll get to see Stewart in a comforting, familiar role once more when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters in December and we get to see Professor X one more time, but when we look back on Stewart’s entire career, Green Room will always stand out as truly one of his best roles — and makes us appreciate his heroes even more.
Have you seen Green Room? Did you find Stewart to be terrifying? Let us know in the comments.
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