‘True love takes sacrifice’
Death of Me is a 2020 American horror film about a holidaying couple who get mixed up in a web of mystery, black magic and murder.
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Spiral: From the Book of Saw; Abattoir; The Barrens; 11-11-11; Saw II; III and IV; et al)) from a screenplay written by Ari Margolis, James Morley III and David Tish, the Dobre Films-Envision Media Arts production stars Maggie Q, (Slumber; Mara; Priest), Luke Hemsworth, Alex Essoe (Homewrecker; Red Island; Midnighters) and Kat Ingkarat.
Plot:
Vacationing on an island off the coast of Thailand, Christine (Maggie Q) and Neil Oliver (Luke Hemsworth) awake hungover and with no memory of the previous night. They find footage on Neil’s camera, and watch, horrified, as he appears to murder Christine.
With several hours until the next ferry and a typhoon threatening the island, Christine and Neil attempt to reconstruct the night’s events…
Reviews:
“Initially, it seems like it has a deep story to tell about either relationships or the reliance on technology. When it does not go into either of those directions, it looks like it may be a standard scary movie. There is more of that, but in the end, it seems content to be a random series of cliches.” AIPT
“As the plot goes on, the contrivances pile up to almost absurd extremes. The engaging part of the film deals with a husband and wife trying to emotionally sort out something they took part in that seems impossible. All the movie’s efforts to create a grand justification for that cell phone video take away from the human story.” The Aisle Seat
“Death of Me is only 94 minutes long, but it feels like a slog – and when the presence of Alex Essoe (as a fellow American Christine and Neil meet on the island) can’t liven up your movie, there are definitely some pacing and storytelling issues at play.” Arrow in the Head
“Death of Me starts out with great promise of an intriguing plot and potentially creepy, or at the very least eerie, sights but all we’re given is a meandering and uninteresting series of events with overblown music, one good performance and a terrible ending that leads audiences wondering what was the point of any of it.” Coming Soon
“Death of Me takes a page from Blumhouse’s book to produce a movie that gets enough presence out of a few recognizable actors and enough plot out of a simple premise. Flames of fear about overseas trips generally fan themselves, but films that go places like Death of Me does certainly add to that anxiety.” Culture Crypt
” …any reasonable point or compelling genre fun is lost amongst the messy narrative structure, wooden acting, predictability, and appropriating Thailand for generic cult purposes.” Flickering Myth
“Midsommar (2019) was another excellent film that took on this strange turn of ritual events. (If you are planning a getaway, you may or may not want to look into the “traditions” they celebrate. You know rituals, sacrifices, things of that nature) […] Death of Me is a roller-coaster. Make sure to check it out.” HNN
” …it keeps you guessing as you’re on the edge of your seat. As the story plays out, you are unable to guess what will happen next. There aren’t a ton of jump scares, the movie builds real tension and dread, which I personally appreciate. You will continue to think about the movie’s events for a while after it’s over. That’s the mark of a good film in my book.” Horror Fuel
“Bousman is firing on all cylinders here, and this may be his most accomplished film to date. It’s rare to see a film that works in nearly every respect, but Death of Me manages to pull it off. There could have been a more satisfying ending, but I really think that’s going to come down to personal preference.” Killer Horror Critic
“Amulets and pregnancy holding great importance in some mumbo jumbo cult are such old chestnuts that instantly remind a horror fan of Rosemary’s Baby. The constructive cinematography and bold performances may, however, compel one to watch Death of Me till it comes to a dull end.” Leaky Loonage
“Perhaps if this multi-handed script hadn’t been so caught up in rituals, hallucinations and attempts at explaining its illogical “logic,” and just focused on one pissed-off American tourist determined to get away from a deadly “paradise,” this mildly-chilling horror tale would have found its proper thriller footing and sprinted by.” Movie Nation
“Maggie Q offers a sincere and competent performance that way outclasses this material. As good as she was there was little that could be done to redeem Death of Me, which remained frustrating and scattered right up to the very final shot. At best, Death of Me is a forgettable horror that offers little for the viewer to cling to.” Nightmarish Conjurings
“There is much to recommend with Death of Me, especially the first-half build-up. Once things start to get familiar in the folk horror realm, it becomes easier to see where the film is headed, but the ride remains entertaining nevertheless.” The Scariest Things
” …Bousman dives into Death of Me with loads of energy. He sets up the situation then he lets fly with sinister-looking strangers, strange rituals. fragments of memories, and a strange amulet. And, as the mystery deepens, and things start to really spiral out of control that amulet is the only clue they, or we, have […] A fun ride with jumps and some suitably gross images…” Voices from the Balcony
Release:
In the USA, Death of Me is released theatrically, on Digital and On-Demand by Saban Films on October 2, 2020.
Cast and characters:
Maggie Q … Christine
Luke Hemsworth … Neil
Alex Essoe
Kat Ingkarat … Madee
Kelly B. Jones … Kanda
Michael S. New … Weather Man
Angel Ladao … Tribe Member
Rome Romanne … Tribe Member
Filming locations:
Thailand
