I Didn’t Come Here To Die Review
Welcome to the crazy world of first-time director Bradley Scott-Sullivan. This ain’t no standard backwoods horror flick and those expecting a gory romp through the mind of newbie director with some standard set pieces will be sorely disappointed. This is a GREAT backwoods horror flick/gory romp/blood soaked dream and one of the most impressive debuts I’ve seen in the genre in years. Forget all the comparisons to Sam Raimi, this guy owns his movie, and has already developed a great signature style whilst acknowledging and building on the work of those who have gone before.
This fab new Second Sight release follows the story of six young volunteers working on a volunteer project out in the woods for disadvantaged kids whose world is turned upside down by a horrific accident that sends them into a spiral of paranoia, delusion, panic and self-destruction. The gore is immense, the shock factor is high and the psychological investigation into the nature of guilt is deep. The cast is exceptional as an ensemble and the high quality and sensitivity of the acting as well as the damn good script lift this way above what you may expect from such early career stuff. Slick, inspired and damn right disgusting in places, this movie ticks all the boxes for me as a satisfying 77min rollercoaster ride through the darkness of the human experience.
There are some standout set pieces, most notably the intense and beautifully realised chainsaw scene and the masterfully reflective yet jump out of your skin ending that had me laughing out of my seat in shock. I was amazed at my level of empathy and absorption into the characters and I would have to give great kudos to the tight direction, great casting and near-perfect script for that. There are plenty of satisfying nods to the work of those gone before, and the whole movie has a great 80’s feel to it despite being set in the present day. A minor complaint I would have would be the slightly unsatisfying soundtrack, which jarred at times, and the cover image for the DVD which I think is unnecessarily misleading and distracting. I would have preferred the retro style cinema poster as I feel this represents the work best.
Overall an amazing debut – I really can’t wait to see what Sullivan has up his blood-spattered sleeve for us in future, he has a lot to live up to and has set the benchmark nice and high for future new directors. Atta boy!!
Claire Hyypiä