'TIL DEATH DO US PART' IS ACTION-PACKED MURDEROUS MATRIMONY (REVIEW)
Marriage is fascinating because it is one of the few cultural universal. Marriage is a tradition that is common to every culture and person in this world. There are not many of these “cultural universal” traditions in this world, and while different people and cultures celebrate the occurrence in their own way, the core foundation of the practice is synonymous. It is also an institution that is constantly in flux, adapting to the changes that occur at micro and macro levels leaving it ripe for interpretation and personalization. While marriage is about companionship, its history is rooted in power and control, and the dynamics of where that power lies seem to shift over time. It’s also a topic not too unfamiliar to the horror genre, and one that 2023’s TIL DEATH DO US PART is happy to invite you to. Is this horror-thriller love at first sight, or will viewers object rather than holding their peace?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
After bailing on her wedding, a former bride-to-be must fight off her ex-groom and seven angry killer groomsmen in order to survive the night.
HOW IS IT?
On June 5, 2021, I got married to my wife. After being together for 8 years, we said our “I do’s” in that small window of time between variants when everyone thought that Covid might not persist much longer. It was one of the best days of my life and still is, but that's not exactly how things roll in TIL DEATH DO US PART. Combining elements of JOHN WICK, RUNAWAY BRIDE, and KILL BILL this genre-bending smoothie has an unconventional way of telling an unconventional story that for the most part succeeds in entertaining you with glorious vows of violence.
TIL DEATH DO US PART is that classic tale of a woman who decides that she doesn’t want to go through with marrying her partner. Naturally, this means that the seven groomsmen have to remedy this by attempting to trap and take her down to change her mind. If that all sounds kinda tame, it should because to talk anymore about what evolves in the story would move us into spoiler territory. Part of the reason it's so hard to talk about the plot in detail is because of the way the story is told. Jumping back and forth between present-day events and previous occurring events we are slow-dripped elements of the story throughout these time-jumps. While it isn’t hard to figure out what is going on before the eventual reveal, the way information is delivered can be both intriguing and frustrating. It is nice to have a little bit of information revealed and drag the tension on, but it also disrupts the pacing of the film moving from scenes of intense action to scenes of heavy dialogue. The thing is, it isn’t as if the final reveal is hard to spot, so it makes one wonder what is gained by telling the story this way rather than more straightforward. This is most apparent at the end where things are somewhat less climatic than you might expect.
The standouts in the film are absolutely the stunt choreography and action scenes. Most of the actors we see on screen are in fact stunt actors as well, so there is an authenticity to the action scenes that feels real and seamless. Some of this is due to the way the film is shot, favoring longer takes rather than quick jump cuts you are able to take in more of the impressive fighting work, and also feel like this is less cartoony than something you might see in JOHN WICK. The acting is also top-notch with some character actors making appearances alongside some relatively lesser-known folks collaborating to create something that is snappy, witty, and above all fun. That’s really what we come to see movies like this for anyway, right? This is escapist cinema for fans of well-choreographed action and razor-thin stories who show up to see a few people get knocked around. At the end of the day, TIL DEATH DO US PART accomplishes what it set out to do, even if some choices disrupt some of the momentum. Some may compare it, unjustly, to READY OR NOT because of the similarity in premise. While that assumption may be valid at first glance, viewers will be hard-pressed to find any further connective tissue between the two. Those who are writing it off on that comparison are likely doing themselves and the film a disservice, so remember to not judge a book by its cover…proverbially speaking.
LAST RITES
TIL DEATH DO US PART is a fun, bloody, violent, and engaging movie that favors punches over pretension for a wedding you aren’t soon to forget. While the pacing can be a bit jarring, the overall experience is something you should definitely RSVP “yes” to.
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
Starring
Where can you watch it?
Til Death Do Us Part will be released in select theaters nationwide on August 4, 2023. Check here to find a showing near you!
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