Reviews by:
@ryan_the_nixon
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2021
15
director: S.K Dale
starring: Megan Fox, Eoin Macken, Callan Mulvey, Jack Roth, Aml Ameen.
A woman is left handcuffed to her dead husband as part of a sick revenge plot. Unable to unshackle, she has to survive as two killers arrive to finish her off. I thought Till death was excellent and a very well-made film.
My first few positives would be the interesting idea, the dark set up and tone. As well as the great cinematography and set locations, also with great performances. I think that the idea of the film itself is unique and interesting, being chained to a dead body especially in the conditions of the movie was an inventive and fun premise. I also thought the set up was very dark, it was shocking to have the contrast of the main characters relationship possibly being on the mend to have him suddenly be dead, it was very well executed and took the film in a dark and fun new direction, the film itself had a pretty dark tone, especially with its humour and not being afraid to have some very unsettling and uncomfortable scenes. I also thought the cinematography and set locations were great. This film was visually creative, it would use the surroundings and incorporate it into the shots when Emma (Megan Fox) was hiding from the robbers to really increase the tension. And there were some amazing shots in general, especially within the final act with the lake. I also think the film used the set location of the house well. It was in the middle of nowhere so Emma couldn’t escape, and the film used every room in the house well as great hiding spots. I also thought the performances were great. The whole cast did a great job, but it was great to see Megan Fox. She was committed to the role, and it really showed when she was on screen, she bought the intensity and passion required for the role and it was nice to see her acting again.
My next few positives would be the character background and development to the relationship. The tense tone and building of tension. As well as the use of gore, sound design, and the development to the plot. I really appreciated the amount of time the film took to develop the relationship between Emma and her partner, we got to see how their relationship worked and how controlling he was to gain sympathy for Emma as a character, as well as good character background to understand her dark past and how its linked to the main antagonists. I also thought the tense tone and building of tension was excellent, the films tension was set up well and it was never lost. The film got slowly more and more intense as the stakes for the characters increased. I was on edge for a good majority of the film and the situations that the film put Emma in were scary. I also thought the use of gore and the sound design was great. The movie was not afraid to get fairly bloody which definitely made the film had a lot more impact, with Emma dragging the dead body of her husband that was dripping blood being pretty gruesome and the imagery really stuck with me, I also thought the sound design was used very effectively to increase the tension, the sudden startling noises to distract the characters or the repeated noises of the characters footsteps getting closer to Emma really increased the tension of the scenes well. Finally, I also thought the film’s plot developed well, it was structured in a way where it didn’t overstay its welcome and ran smoothly. Going from Emma trying to find a way to break free of her husband and escape, to the antagonists being hired to kill her, they changed the plot up enough times to keep you engaged and it made it a fun experience to watch.
I did have a few issues with the film, the beginning felt rushed and unneeded. The film fell into some genre tropes, and the logic of the plot wore thin in parts. I did find the beginning to be fairly rushed, Emma was with a different man due to her husband being a player, however it all felt underdeveloped and rushed, it only lasted a small amount of time, and they didn’t really develop their relationship enough for me to care about his character. I also thought the film did fall into some genre tropes. There were moments where there would do a predictable change to a scene where Emma would nearly be caught but then suddenly something would happen, or a noise would be heard that was slightly generic. My final criticism would the logic of the plot waring thin in parts. There were particularly scenes that were a bit silly and too over the top, and moments where if it happened in real life the situation would be different, and that did take me out of the film in parts.
My final few positives would be the strong script, good character depth and strong villains with good motivations. As well as the dark twists and intense final act. The script was well written, its self awareness and dark humour was witty and sharp and always hit the mark and did its job. I also thought the character depth for Emma was strong. Her dark past involving her attack and the man hired to kill her being the same person gave the character a lot of emotional depth, and slowly learning about her relationship with her husband and what she has been through over the years was a welcome addition to the film. I also thought the villains and their motivations was strong. Callan Mulvey delivered a very intense and intimidating performance, and he was a strong antagonist, he was mentally unstable and willing to do anything to get what he wanted. I also think his motivation for doing what he did because of his past with Emma was strong motivation for his character which was well explained which isn’t always the case with films in this genre. I also thought the dark twists and the final act were very well executed. The twists were unexpected and very dark, everything that Emma’s husband gave her that you thought was a sweet gift turned out to be something to punish her in a big mind game and it kept the film intense and fresh. The final act was also incredibly intense. As it was unclear Whether Emma would escape or not, the stakes were incredibly high, and the intensity was at its max and I was thoroughly entertained.
Overall, despite the plausibility of the fun premise waring thin in places and falling into some genre tropes. Till death is elevated by the fantastic direction from S.K Dale this was his debut feature film. Also, by the committed performance from Megan Fox, and the dark premise that never lost its intensity.
Overall score 87/100
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