Till Death puts Megan Fox back in the horror genre as a newly widowed spouse whose past comes back to haunt her. An interesting, yet familiar setup of events unfold that will keep you glued due to Fox’s performance. Till Death probably would have been more effective if it had drawn a majority of its inspiration from Home Alone because the Gerald’s Game angle drags for the most part. While not a completely satisfying watch, Till Death handles its revenge angle adequately enough, and the performances help keep the film alive.
Disloyalty will catch up to you at some point in your life and for Mark (Eoin Macken) and Emma (Megan Fox) that time has come. This cat and mouse game rooted in a marriage gone to hell offers some twists along the way, but most will be predictable for those paying close attention. Directed by S.K. Dale in his directional debut and written by Jason Carvey, Till Death stars Megan Fox, Eoin Macken, Callan Mulvey, Jack Roth, and Aml Ameen. After a romantic getaway at a secluded lakehouse, Emma wakes up handcuffed to her dead husband, Mark. When hired killers make their way to the lakehouse, Emma must fight them off to thwart her husband’s plans.
Carvey’s script plays out like an offbeat Home Alone horror film with Stephen King’s inspiration at its center. Emma and Mark’s relationship has been on a downward spiral for quite a while and their latest anniversary is where Mark has decided to call it quits. While Fox is compelling in the role, Emma herself isn’t very likable, but her relationship troubles make her relatable. Emma is having an affair with Mark’s co-worker, Tom (Ameen). Mark, who is dealing with a career crisis, learns of this and decides to take Emma down with him for her disloyalty. As the film plays out, it’s apparent that Emma is disconnected from Mark and their marriage due to his own disloyalties in the past. Mark is a successful lawyer who helped Emma escape a very traumatic past that he will now make her present.
Till Death characterizes Emma as a detached, troubled, and haunted spouse who seems to be hesitant to leave Mark due to his controlling, hypocritical, and almost aggressive behavior. The progression of Emma as she battles these two hired killers and puts the troubled past behind her is entertaining enough, but a great chunk of this script is Emma dragging Mark’s body around the house searching for a way out. This period of body dragging is the film’s weakest aspect but it does allow Emma to finally get some lingering frustrations with Mark off her chest as she talks to his lifeless corpse. Had that Gerald’s Game angle played out longer, Till Death would have lost its way.
Fox tremendously portrays this troubled woman who desperately wants out of her marriage. The disconnect between Mark and Emma is heard loud and clear through Emma’s unbothered attitude towards his sudden death. Mark had been dead to her for a while and Fox’s facial expression’s throughout the ordeal assist in making Emma’s feelings towards Mark very clear. Fear doesn’t seem to be registering in her mind until the killers arrive, which is bizarre considering she just woke up handcuffed to a dead man.
Till Death includes quite the color palette as well, visually it is gorgeous and enhances the romantic tones expressed early on along with the more horrific events that occur later. Dale’s directional debut isn’t a complete home run, since the film drags for quite a while. The boredom Emma feels while dragging Mark around the house will be felt as you watch her because of the pacing. The intensity and urgency are picked up once Emma is forced into defense mode. Still, the way Emma’s isolation in this winter weather is captured adds to the trapped feeling she feels throughout the film.
Revenge stories are nothing new at this point so Till Death isn’t an original, groundbreaking tale. Its unoriginality is apparent from start to finish and it does have its dull moments. This is just another run-of-the-mill dramatic horror film that is carried mostly by Fox’s performance. Till Death is a throwaway film that offers enough to be considered entertaining.
