‘Stay home’
Death Trip is a 2021 Canadian horror film about four friends that go to stay in a winter cottage and discover dark secrets.
Written, directed and edited by James Watts – making his feature directorial debut – from a screenplay co-written with Kelly Watts, the Good House Digital production stars Kelly Kay, Tatyana Olal, Garrett Johnson, Melina Trimarchi, Zoe Slobodzian, Bruce Watts and Brad MacDonald.
Plot:
Four friends take a cottage trip in the dead of winter. After one of them is found mutilated, it initially appears they’re being targeted by angry locals…
Our review:
Filmed in a convincingly naturalistic indie manner with mumblecore dialogue, Death Trip authentically captures the relationship issues of its main protagonists, the hellish nature of a small-town party where paranoia thrives and it creates an unsettling sense of dread (with good use of sound design and an impressive score by Estan Beedell).
Performances are generally impressive for such a low-budget pic. Unfortunately, the obviously impending violence takes way too long to arrive and the climax is frustratingly drawn-out in what is an already over-extended narrative.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“A slow-burn, overlong thriller that tends to overwhelm with the flaws against the positives, this one comes off quite weakly with a few likable elements that do get overlooked by the massive amounts of flaws that are present here.” Don’s World of Horror and Exploitation
“Discomforting and moody, the Canadian indie Death Trip feels like — and very well may be — a homemade movie from a group of friends. Admirably, it operates as if unconcerned with commerce, and more about just looking for a good excuse to splatter a little blood, get outside in the cold and run around the woods with a croquet mallet for non-croquet use. In no way is that meant as a negative…” Flick Attack
“While flashes and hits of what’s to come are given throughout the narrative, this picture takes way too long to get where it’s going, and at over an hour and forty minutes, some of that fat could definitely have been trimmed […] What the film does have going for it is the aforementioned style […] and a fantastic (if somewhat green) cast that really gives it their all to bring this fright flick to life.” Horror Fuel
“Death Trip takes its time getting to the actual death part of the film’s plot. The first half-hour or so has some noises in the dark and a couple of weird scenes that are either ghostly or hallucinations. The signs of Watts [director] and Kay’s [writer] talent and unfortunately unrealized potential are there. If the filmmakers had cut a good bit of the pointless drama and come up with a tighter ending Death Trip could have been a solid little thriller.” Voices from the Balcony
Release:
Death Trip was released on Digital by Gravitas Ventures and Kamikaze Dogfight on February 16, 2021.
Cast and characters:
Kelly Kay … Kelly
Tatyana Olal … Tatyana
Garrett Johnson … Garrett
Melina Trimarchi … Melina
Zoe Slobodzian … Megan Kinglsey
Bruce Watts … Bruce Kingsley
Brad MacDonald … Brad
David Kuyek … Dave
Joseph Simmons … Joe
Brett Howie … Glenn
Tara Desmond … J.C.
Amy Goldberg … Cici
Rufina Ip … Nina
James Watts … Country Party Host
Tracy Butler … Tracy Kingsley
Technical details:
102 minutes
Official trailer:
