Synopsis
A corrupt Sheriff's department in a rural mountain town comes undone when an unintended witness throws a wrench into their shady operation.
Directed by Mike Burns.
Written by Bill Lawrence.
Starring Jaime King, Bruce Willis, Lala Kent, Michael Sirow, Tyler Jon Olson and Kelly Greyson.
Released on Digital Download from 2nd August and DVD from 4th October.
Review
I got my hands on a preview of this one. Modern Bruce Willis is always a slight concern, but I like to give them the benefit of the doubt.
In this peaceful mountain town, a quiet hike turns to terror as a photographer witnesses a brutal crime by the very people who are supposed to protect against them.
On the scale of messed up plots, Out of Death isn't actually that bad. Corrupt law enforcement caught in the act is a strong idea to use in a crime thriller. The setting also gave them a lot of opportunities even though it's a fairly simple forest/wooded setting. Though that setting suffers a little from TARDIS-esque qualities, is it big, is it small, how does time work in and around it? I found myself wondering about those random things, which may have been down to not feeling massively engaged with anything happening.
From the small collection of characters, Billie and Tom probably came out the best. Though no one quite got out unscathed. They did at least have a bond that played out well in a few scenes.
Beyond them, the rest of the cast don't do so well with the script. There are points where it tries to give characters something a little extra, but it ultimately came out a little on the creepy side. I'm thinking in particular about one scene where two characters try to have a human conversation and build a little backstory... it was bad, and made me cringe. I haven't felt that way about a film interaction in a very long time.
As much as I love Bruce Willis, he basically wanders through this one without much effort. The whole affair felt rather lethargic, and as with his other recent films, it's a phoned-in effort. Without him, I doubt anyone would have come across Out of Death, there's nothing that's a particular hook, and with such a generic air to it, I can't see anyone picking it out of a line-up of similar films.
Out of Death might not be the worst film I've ever seen, but there's lots of room for improvement. As it is, it doesn't hold your attention enough to make it massively enjoyable. At the very least you can enjoy the scenery.
What you should do
I can't really recommend you watch this one unless you're a sucker for a really easy watch and aren't easily frustrated by anything I've mentioned above. If a crime thriller is your desired viewing then there are many films I would recommend above this one.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
A nice cabin in the woods... but without any of the danger that that phrase comes with.
this was the new typical for Bruce Willis. He is now phoning in for projects. He has lost all street cred. No longer a bankable star, must resort to this type of dribble. Sad. Script was poor acting even worse. Like a student film. But poorly done.
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