Review: Megan Fox literally carries 'Till Death' on her shoulders in efficient thriller
Courtesy of Screen Media
Handcuffed to her husband with no escape, Megan Fox literally carries the weight and intensity of her latest thriller “Till Death” on her very capable shoulders. An excellent, physical showcase for the “Jennifer’s Body” alum, S.K. Dale crafts a tight, claustrophobic statement on the trappings of marriage while delivering simple, but effective suspense in the isolated and snowy wilderness.
Think “Gerald’s Game” but with slightly more blood and jolts, “Till Death” riffs on the slasher/heist model with relative ease, guided by one of Fox’s best performances. She plays Emma, an executive caught in a marital spat with her husband (Eion Macken). Nevermind her infidelity, the marriage has been going down the drain, but in a last ditch effort to salvage whatever spark remains, the two stowaway in a remote cabin for the weekend. Emma’s husband promises to make things better and provide a better life for her and you’d think the damaged might be repaired until she awakens the next morning with his brains splattered on the walls, a cryptic suicide note, and his body cuffed on her wrists.
It’s all a sick and twisted ploy to exact revenge for the suffering Emma caused, leaving her defenseless and without resources. When two sibling bandits arrive - played by Callan Mulvey and Jack Roth - to crack a safe that requires fingerprint authorization and a numerical code, the pressure mounts for Emma to wiggle around the property and avoid capture. Simple movements like ducking in the snow covered trenches to avoid exposure, or sliding underneath a car in the garage aren’t new techniques in the subgenre of home invasion thrillers, but the sly camera movements and taunt score remind us, when produced with first rate efficiency, these films are a blast.
Mostly used as eye candy in the vast majority of her filmography, Fox’s performance earns top merits as the fractured wife burdened (even in death) with the poor decisions and cowardice of a lousy, unfulfilling husband. It’s a nice departure and show of range for the actress and kudos to Dale for not exploiting looks, allowing Fox to drive this vehicle with stealthy readiness. A quick glance on IMDB will tell you she’s got other projects in the pipeline that’ll hopefully complement her abilities, but for now, “Till Death” proves she’s got plenty of fight in the tank and when paired with the right filmmaker and script, the sky (or ice) is the limit.
Grade: B
TILL DEATH is now playing in theaters and on demand.
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