Barely a quarter into 2016 and one studio has already cornered the market with the two best films of the year; A24 emerge victorious with a double dose of dramatic terror with the classic New England folk tale, “The Witch” and the modern mayhem of “Green Room.” While I personally hope their triple crown will be sealed with the forthcoming “Swiss Army Man” I am perfectly content knowing their current gauntlet is ready to redefine fresh, fun and fine filmmaking.

The story here is simple; The Ain’t Rights, a struggling but popular quartet are crisscrossing the punk rock underbelly of America before sputtering out in Oregon where as a gig falls through, so do they down the rabbit hole into a rural Neo Nazi club for an afternoon matinee. As witnesses to a murder in the titular domicile, the band and their captors descend into a game of cat & mouse that is the very definition of edge of your seat, arm rest gripping, wide eyed, palm sweating tension. The pendulum swings low, fast and with furious abandon – intensity has a name and it is Jeremy Saulnier’s “Green Room.”

While it’s rather easy to offer up a short and sweet synopsis of the film, the meat of the matter (and there are big, bloody chunks of it aplenty) is that while the essence here is pure horror, it comes from the completely human and very realistic setting/situation that beats the drum of cinematic siege. Like John Carpenter’s pulse pounding “Assault on Precinct 13”, his hero Howard Hawks genre defining “Rio Bravo” and Akira Kurosawa’s immortal ”Seven Samurai,” the “Green Room” is a last bastion against backwoods brutality and backward ideals, a battleground where the heart of such home invasion hallmarks like “Straw Dogs,” “Eden Lake,” and “Last House on the Left.” It’s a place where the actual venue is of little importance when the threat is so close and real. “Green Room” oozes with anxiety; it echoed throughout the theater and there were numerous moments where you could practically hear a pin drop.

Part of what keeps momentum perpetual are the pockets of light hearted laughter and spunky sarcasm that allow the invasion to occasionally feel more “Home Alone” than “Funny Games” and it’s a huge part of the charm here. There is no doubt that the band is up shit creek without a paddle but they find periods of reflection that are more about retaining their humanity than desperately seeking humor in a heartless environment. It’s a contrast that is natural and fluid without even a modicum of misstep; Saulnier knows how to make the audience laugh, scream and cheer without skipping a beat.

Patrick Stewart is obviously the marquee name here, and though his performance as club owner and fearless leader Darcy Banker is clearly dripping with the authority and expertise one would expect, it’s his cold and measured performance that adds power to his punch without overwhelming the talents of the supporting cast. He is the conductor here but what unfolds as his musicians will not play the notes as expected is a real nail-biter.

While there are so many standout moments and memory makers present, they are owed in spades to the trio of Anton Yelchin, Imogeen Poots and Macon Blair. Yelchin has continually given his all in both commercial fare like the “Star Trek” and “Terminator” franches to more underrated efforts such as “Alpha Dog,” ”Odd Thomas” and yes, even the “Fright Night” reboot. His “Fright Night” co-star, Imogen Poots famous for genre entries like “28 Weeks Later,” “Centurion” and “V For Vendetta” rises above from background noise to frontwoman in an arc that is sassy, smart and sincere. Yet, the undeniable breakout here is Saulnier’s muse, Macon Blair who has been on this roller coaster ride since that fateful night he was a guest at the “Murder Party.” As the red right hand of Stewart’s maniacal mastermind, the character of Gabe is one that is difficult to pin down, deeply conflicted and extremely poignant. Like all the principal cast, Saulnier’s script gives each player plenty of development but it’s Blair’s journey that continually kept my interest – in a film filled with both raw, human emotion and unfettered animalistic rage, it’s Macon Blair who will keep the viewer guessing who he really is and how far he is willing to go.

“Green Room” rarely fears to venture far and is absolutely unforgiving when it comes to the grit, grime and gore that splatters the screen as the standoff wears on. It’s been a long time since I witnessed grue that felt so real and actually instilled some sense of shock which were not isolated incidents judging by the audible gasps I heard (as well as more than a few shouts of “fuck yeah”) due to the combination of excellent make up/special effects work, top notch cinematography from Sean Porter and elite editing by Julia Bloch. As to be expected from anyone who enjoyed “Blue Ruin” and “Murder Party,” they are sure to love the haunting and immersive score from Brooke and Will Blair as it is seamlessly placed alongside the punk, hardcore and death metal numbers/performances.

References to classic punk/hardcore imagery and musical influences line the celluloid, masterfully woven in from the poster paying homage to The Clash’s “London Calling”, the at-odds nature of promotion & profit in punk rock to the very scene itself lampooned for its bloated sense of self-importance. In the end, it finds itself tested and turned up to 11 in a situation where both the band and its individual components are put to the irons again and again in a display that’s as enduring as any of the greats and more honest than anything I’ve since Penelope Sphreeis’ landmark “The Decline of Western Civilization.”

Director and writer Jeremey Saulnier has already proven himself twice with the unrelenting tension of “Blue Ruin” and the underrated “Murder Party” but “Green Room” really is the perfect middle ground between the deeply personal and savage sensory assault of the former and the fun, quirky nature of the latter. Teamed up with a crack team of previous collaborators and a first rate cast, “Green Room” is not a film; it’s an experience.