I’ll Take Your Dead is a 2018 Canadian horror film directed by Chad Archibald (The Heretics; The Drownsman; Bite) from a screenplay written by Jayme LaForest (The Heretics; Bite). The Black Fawn Films production stars Aidan Devine, Ava Preston, Jessica Salgueiro and Ari Millen.
Plot:
William has a simple job: he makes dead bodies disappear. Through circumstances out of his control, his little farmhouse in the country has become a dumping ground for the casualties of the gang-related murders in the nearby city.
Meanwhile, William’s daughter Gloria has become used to the rough looking men dropping off corpses and is even convinced that some of them haunt their house. After a woman’s body is dumped at the house, William begins his meticulous process when he realises that she’s not actually dead.
As the gang activity increases, William patches up the woman and holds her against her will until he can figure out what to do with her. As they begin to develop an unusual respect for each other, the woman’s murderers get word that she’s still alive and make a plan to finish what they started…
Reviews:
“The writing is clever and intriguing, while the casting of every character is nothing short of perfection. I’ll Take Your Dead is a fantastic mix of thrilling Horror with whispers of a coming-of-age story for a young girl. Not an easy mix, but Archibald has somehow made it feel organic and heart-stopping.” Cryptic Rock
“The supernatural hook melting into the movie isn’t truly essential aside from deus ex machina employment down the line. I’ll Take Your Dead also has the kind of conclusion where an interior location suddenly becomes improbably labyrinthine to recalibrate how remaining players are separated.” Culture Crypt
“While the ghost stuff is inconsistent with the rest of the movie, the supernatural elements give it character it might not otherwise have. Besides, the rest of the film is so well-constructed that it can’t be derailed by the appearance of some effectively creepy spirits.” Daily Dead
“An extremely accessible film for those who aren’t seasoned horror fans, I’ll Take Your Dead is great for those of us who love a good crime thriller but find most horror films not their cup of tea.” Fear Forever
“It really is a cool little flick that deserves to find an audience and it will please fans of the macabre. But this is macabre entertainment with real heart, and the film has the potential to be a real breakout movie for some talented filmmakers with some interesting ideas.” Film School Rejects
” …the film is a lot of fun. While I wasn’t happy with the handling of the supernatural elements in the third act, the performances and pacing of the film more then make up for it. There is a mounting tension that plays out just right and the family dynamic will keep viewers invested throughout.” Geek Hard
“It has a high concept, great character writing/acting (young Preston – also in Critters Attack! – is outstanding), a satisfying storyline, a lot of imaginative visuals, moments of gore (when it turns into a siege movie, you know that acid bath will come in handy), very black humour, horrific apparitions, an assured build-up of suspense with powerful shock payoffs, and a real depth of feeling.” The Kim Newman Web Site
“I’ll Take Your Dead is a cool, probably off-your-radar little film that’s well worth the time and effort to track down. It blends various influences and genres into a tale that works as a potboiler crime story, a bleak family drama, and a creeping supernatural horror.” The Last Thing I See
“I’ll Take Your Dead is a film with rich characters and drama that really hook you right from the get-go, but it’s also macabre and gruesome, infused with an intriguing supernatural element, and well-shot with moody cinematography. The main cast is solid through and through…” McBastard’s Mausoleum
“The supernatural elements are deftly handled, and the effects are great. But the true genius of this film lies in the human relationships and long, quiet moments of people who are searching for a connection after losing someone they loved.” Pop Horror
“The film impresses in making you believe that humans are always a little bit of both. After all, that’s what makes us human […] an intriguing blend of family drama, crime film and supernatural horror with the pace, patience and payoff of a western.” Ready Steady Cut!
” …doesn’t really have the right balance of the multiple genres it tackles and could have used more horror. Also, Ari Millen’s antagonistic performance as Reggie is more obnoxious than threatening. However, I’ll Take Your Dead is still a film worth seeing for the father/daughter chemistry.” Sean Kelly on Movies
“I’ll Take Your Dead is an exciting and visceral experience, as well as being an interesting and surprisingly tender exploration of a father-daughter relationship that has seen better days, while the gothic-horror elements add a whole new level to a genre of film which isn’t short on representation.” UK Film Review
“An enthralling film from the opening scene, the characters are well defined […] Without the ghostly facet a thriller version of this film has glimpses of a Clint Eastwood character-driven, performance-based masterpiece.” Without Your Head
“There is heart in this film, that is undeniable. Unfortunately, the fact that the film never quite decides if it wants to be an action film about a complicated criminal who has his home invaded, or a ghost story about a little girl who has seen too much…” Wylie Writes
Release:
Available digitally and on VOD, I’ll Take Your Dead was also released by Scream Factory on Blu-ray and DVD on June 4, 2019.
- Behind-the-scenes featurette
- Deleted scenes
- Script-to-screen comparison
- Trailers
Cast and characters:
-
- Aidan Devine … William
- Ava Preston … Gloria
- Jess Salgueiro … Jackie
- Brandon McKnight … Carter
- Michael Reventar … Diaz
- Ari Millen … Reggie
- Moe Jeudy-Lamour … Demarco
- Tavaree Daniel-Simms … Bodie
- Raffaele Brereton … T-Dogg
- Adam Christie … Burnt Man
- Pastel Supernova … The Princess
- Megan Soo … Girl #2
- Matthew Mease … Dead Body
- Justin Kowalski-Adams … Ghost
- David D’Lancy Wilson … Nate
MOVIES & MANIA provides previews, our own film reviews and ratings, plus links to other online reviews from a wide variety of trusted sources in one handy web location. This is a genuinely independent website and we rely solely on the minor income generated by internet ads to pay for web costs and cover yet more movies. Please support us by not blocking ads. Thank you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a very tiny amount from any qualifying purchases.
