Director: S.K. Dale
Written by: Jason Carvey
Starring: Starring Megan Fox, Callan Mulvey, Eoin Macken, Aml Ameen
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, grisly images, and language throughout
Runtime: 96 minutes
Available In Theaters And On Demand July 2

by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Megan Fox has certainly had an interesting career as well as some mixed reception from the public. I certainly had my opinions about her at 18 when I saw Jennifer’s Body for the first time. I revisited the film during quarantine and realized how great it is and how amazing Fox is in it. She seems to be an actor who understands the perceptions people have about her, and utilizes it to her advantage in the roles she chooses. Between her performance and a director that knows how to use her, they can come up with something really entertaining. I was glad to see her returning to the genre with Till Death and was not at all disappointed with her performance or its story.

Emma (Megan Fox) is celebrating another year in her strained marriage. However her husband Mark (Eoin Macken), tells her he wants to make this anniversary particularly special.So he drives them out to the lake house, decks the house out in candles and flower petals and vows to be a better husband. The next morning however, Emma finds that she is handcuffed to her dead husband. His big surprise for their anniversary was something she never could have imagined. So begins a strange revenge game as Emma tries to free herself from her husband's literal dead weight, and evade the two killers who are after her.

This is a unique revenge thriller that does a great job at setting up all the pieces it lays out. It successfully blends a methodical revenge plot with a survivor’s tale. It also manages to escalate the drama making it more intense as the film goes on. Everytime you think you are smarter than the characters or wonder why they aren’t doing something, the film gives you a reason. It is fun and smart filmmaking. It is not necessarily inventing the wheel but it knows how to use the tropes to its advantage. It is probably the most fun I have had watching a film this year. It also feels like many of these films can get into the more torture porn genre of horror like your Saw or Hostel films, but does not go quite as far. It gives viewers just enough fun gore and cringe moments to be enjoyable but not overtly gross. I quite enjoy these female survival films and this film does a great job of making you empathize for the character and the situation she is in.

Given its 96 minute run time it does a great job of giving you just enough information about the major players while also jumping right into its horror story. Even the husband, who is not long for this film, is someone the audience will totally understand within the first 15 minutes. He is cold and manipulative and you can see how much control he has over everything around him, including his wife. The same can be said for Emma who we learn early on survived a vicious attack only to end up in a relationship with another type of toxic man. Knowing her troubled past also means that Mark is able to use that trauma against her making him a very scary and intense villain, even if he is dead for the majority of the film. It has a small cast and is mostly set in one location but the setting and characters are all very engaging and work great for the survival game that plays out. They are all very smart so it makes aspects of the cat and mouse game very entertaining.

The film also looked great. Cinematographer Jamie Cairney who is mostly known for his television work, creates a scary and isolated world for the audience to drop into. You can feel the isolation and sense of despair. Even with its one location it builds a great world for the characters to play around in. The house itself has so many great elements that all come back around at some point or another. It also has a few perfect death scenes that any horror fan should enjoy. It also has some great editing to help keep the film interesting and engaging while in this vacation home.

And again Megan Fox is great in this and has a keen understanding of her character. She gets to play the stunning cold trophy wife while also being a survivor who will not let this man or any other take her down. While she is quiet and stoic for the first half of the film we quickly learn it's because of the toxic situation she is in. The moment she knows the danger she is in she becomes alive again and is ready to fight for her life. She frequently does not get the credit she is due but she is very fun and enjoyable to watch in this film. She is also quite funny in this, despite not having that much dialogue. Most of the film is her alone and not talking, but she manages to be engaging and interesting throughout. For a film with such a small central cast it really hinges on its lead and she delivers. Neither she or this film should be underestimated.

Till Death is a very fun ride and quite an enjoyable viewing experience. It really is the perfect thing to watch with your friends so you can cheer and cringe together at all the best parts. Despite its cold and dreary setting it is a fun summer film watch.