Ominous October - Till Death (2021)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Till Death (2021)
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 88 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: Brave Carrot, Campbell Grobman Films, Millennium Media, Millennium Films, Blue Lantern Entertainment International, CGV Mars Dagitim, California Filmes, Cineforum, Deepjoy Picture, Dutch FilmWorks, Eagle Films, Forum Film Bulgaria, Forum Film Slovakia, Joyncontents Group, Kinepolis Film Distribution, Kinomania, Lionsgate India, Metropolitan Filmexport, NOS Audiovisuais, Norsk Filmdistribusjon, Odeon, PT. Prima Cinema Multimedia, Phars Film, Scanbox Entertainment, Telepool, Times Media Films, Top Film, United King Films, Viva International Pictures, Vértice 360, Defiant Screen Entertainment, Netflix, Screen Media Films, VVS Films
Director: S.K. Dale
Writer: Jason Carvey
Actors: Megan Fox, Eoin Macken, Callan Mulvey, Jack Roth, Aml Ameen, Lili Rich, Stefanie Rozhko, Teodora Djuric
 
Blurb from IMDb:  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.

Cat’s Point of View:
Till Death didn’t land on our Top 20 for July 2021, but only just barely. July had some stiff competition that just edged it out by a hair’s breadth. The note I made for myself when I watched the trailer said “dastardly husband tries to kill wife on their anniversary with hints of Saw (2004), Escape Room (2019), and home-invasion-for-hire.”
 
Now that I’ve watched Till Death, I’d have to say that the impression I got from the trailer was spot-on. I really appreciated that the production delivered on its teased promises – and then raised the bar.

 
Megan Fox (Above the Shadows, Zeroville, Rogue) gave a riveting performance as an emotionally abused wife thrust into a horrific survival situation. I couldn’t begin to tell you how happy I am to see her in roles that give her credit for brains in addition to her bombshell appearance. Till Death may have started slow and awkwardly for some – but that was clearly a reflection of the dismal position Fox’s character was in emotionally. Once the cuffs were locked on, Till Death dared you to look away as the bleak situation unfolded and escalated.

 
I didn’t care that there were a couple inconsistencies here and there. It really didn’t even dawn on me until after-the-fact; and, even then, not until I compiled information before writing. I was too engrossed in the cat-and-mouse fight and flight situation to notice. Part of what I appreciated the most with Till Death was the fact that there was plenty of fight to go with that flight.

 

I was left in awe of the detailed and meticulously evil scenario Fox’s character was thrust into. I’m not that familiar with writer Jason Carvey’s (1000 Ways to Die, A New Wave, Desire) past work, however, the intricate layering of character development and attention to detail grabbed my attention. His mind worked in resourcefully wicked ways as he showcased Emma’s brains at work in the face of calamity and the systematic erosion of hope.
 
Along the same vein, I was significantly impressed that Till Death was the feature-length film debut for director S.K. Dale (Soul Trader, Beyond the Water's Edge, The Coatmaker), whom has but a few short films to his credit on IMDb thus far. This is a creative duo that I absolutely want to see working together again in the future.

 
I could go on about the cinematography and how gorgeously the remote and isolated feeling was crafted by the set production and effects department. Though, I think I’ve gilded the lily enough.
 
Till Death is an excellent choice for a bone-chilling thrill ride this Ominous October. It was certainly worth the wait for it to reach Netflix, and I would definitely recommend searching it out for viewing this spooky season.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 89%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –58%
Metascore – 66%
Metacritic User Score –  6.3/10
IMDB Score – 5.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer: