A Horrible Way to Die (2010 Blu-ray Review)
Director: Adam Wingard
Cast: AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg
Anchor Bay Entertainment / Region A / Rated R / 1.78:1 Widescreen / Dolby TruHD 5.1 Surround / English Language / Spanish Subtitles / 87 minutes / BUY FROM TLACULT
Disk Extras: Audio Commentary with Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett / Behind the Scenes
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A key ingredient in making a real, honest to god, terrifying horror movie is characterization. You have to care about the people involved, especially the victims or potential victims. It’s something that sets it aside from run of the mill “torture porn”, gore film or straight cheese. Think about some of the classics; Poltergeist, The Shining, The Amityville Horror and The Exorcist, just to name a few. They all share the distinction of having a protagonist(s) that you honestly feel a bond with. Writer Simon Barrett (Dead Birds) and director Adam Wingard (Home Sick) have taken that idea and made a grim and shocking thriller that turns the slasher genre into something beautiful.
Sarah is an alcoholic trying to start her life anew after ending an unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend Garrett. You see, Garrett is a serial killer and has been imprisoned only to escape custody while being transported. While at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, Sarah meets nice guy Kevin who also struggles with the drink and the two decide to give a relationship a try. There is one big problem with this; Garrett is making his way back to town to find her and leaving a wake of dead bodies behind. As their uncomfortable new love blossoms, Sarah’s secret past life begins to trickle out until the murdered bodies begin to hit close to home and she has to fully disclose the horrible truth that her ex is a serial killer, come to kill her.
I was blown away by A Horrible Way to Die. Every aspect, both technically and artistically, was spot on and exceeded everything I have come to expect from horror movies these days. To say that this film is stark and real is an understatement. Gray, snow-filled skies. Dead, leafless trees. The whole dreary setting puts you on edge from the very beginning. From there the tension is ratcheted up with Wingard’s wonderfully obtuse and rudely personal camera work. He invades the character’s space and dares them to flinch. The growling, deep roar of the soundtrack mixed with haunting female vocals and ambient sounds puts your teeth on edge. Even the subversive scene transitions works to add heaping helpings of stomach-clenching tension.
To accent the character development, you have to have great actors, and they didn’t fall down on that front either. Amy Seimetz (Wristcutters: A Love Story) could not have been more sympathetic, endearing and fragile. You just wanted to wrap your arms around her and protect her from the big, scary man. That’s just what Joe Swanberg’s (Cabin Fever 2) “Kevin” wanted as well and he played the doting everyman to the hilt. The two made for some seriously uncomfortable scenes as they clumsily stumbled into each others lonely, sober arms. But the whole reason we watch scary movies is for the villain and with AJ Bowen (The House of the Devil) stuck tightly in that role, we aren’t let down. His oddly off-putting facial hair and intense gaze sends chills up your spine as you can see the evil cogs turning in his deranged head.
The film’s white knuckle climax made my head spin. I didn’t know whether to feel betrayed by the sudden and unexpected turn of events or yell out “YES! YES! YES!” as the filmmakers toyed with my emotions and left me drained of energy. This week (8/30) Anchor Bay released Stevan Mena’s fantastic Bereavement on DVD and blu-ray and next week (9/6) they are loosing this tour de force of a terror film. Do yourself a favor and pick up both of them and have yourself one hell of a double feature.
