Megan Fox stars in this exciting Netflix thriller

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Today’s selection recently appeared in the “For You” section of my Netflix account. And while it’s not a perfect film, it is SK Dale’s Until death is a solid cinematic offering that held my attention for its entire duration. The film is scary, darkly comedic, exciting and has some useful twists throughout. Not to mention, Megan Fox in the lead role is a welcome sight. If you’re a fan of standalone thrillers, you’ll love this intense work.

The setup for Until death It’s going ok:

Emma is trapped in a lonely marriage. She and her husband have grown in different directions and have little in common. Despite the lack of connection, the two celebrate their wedding anniversary. When Emma wakes up the next morning in the couple’s lake house, she is tied to her now deceased husband. She doesn’t have a working phone, is trapped in a snowstorm, and her car won’t start. As frightening as this situation sounds, the worst is yet to come.

The first act of Until death paints a portrait of a disintegrating marriage. Two people who were probably once in love now just tolerate each other. This is made very clear through the jump and becomes even clearer when Emma (Megan Fox) sees a well-dressed older gentleman proposing to his much younger girlfriend at an upscale restaurant. Later, Emma sees the bride-to-be in the bathroom and gives her some well-meaning advice, making it clear that she has long regretted her decisions and feels trapped.

It’s not hard to understand why Emma thinks this way. Her husband Mark (Eoin Macken) has allowed his work as a high-powered criminal defense attorney to sap any humanity he once possessed. All that’s left is a power-hungry monster. Although he’s not necessarily that primary As the antagonist here, Mark effectively brings a certain level of villain energy. Furthermore, his presence dominates the entire picture until the last frame. You’ll understand exactly what I mean when you watch the flick.

Megan Fox plays the main character Emma effectively and engagingly.

Megan Fox shines in a nuanced turn as Emma. Emma’s resentment permeates her entire life. But she remains relatable despite her disposition. She has every right to be bitter, but she won’t let her toxic marriage dictate her existence. She stands up to her narcissistic spouse. And when she’s forced to think on her feet, she proves competent and capable with each new challenge. Additionally, Emma delivers some darkly comedic dialogue that makes the character even more endearing. It’s hard not to laugh at the inappropriate comments she makes while dragging her dead husband around.

Fox’s performance aside, I was impressed that the film had some substance. I wouldn’t go so far as to call Until death overly intellectual. But there Are a few thematic elements that give the image a certain depth. For example, the interaction between Emma and Mark is always cold and sterile, and this is effectively reflected in the stage design. Most of the action takes place in her lake house. Their cabin is beautifully decorated but doesn’t feel like a home. It is uninviting and without warmth. It is sparsely furnished and features a drab color scheme that fits their gloomy relationship dynamic.

It also seems fitting that Emma is literally chained to Mark for most of the film. The narrative shows that she feels trapped and doesn’t know how to escape. So her predicament is a literal manifestation of her inner monologue. It’s a bit on the nose, but I think it’s still a clever flourish.

Until deathThe biggest weakness comes in the form of speed issues.

Until death does a lot of things right, but it’s not without its flaws. The film has noticeable pacing problems from the second act onwards. Screenwriter Jason Carvey waits too long to introduce the main threat. In the time between Emma waking up in handcuffs and the introduction of the “big bad,” everything gets boring. Emma scurrying around the house chained to her dead husband, looking for a way to get the handcuffs off, serves a purpose. It finds that there are no useful tools in the house to solve their predicament. The viewer has to know that. But the sequence goes beyond the point where this can be established and ultimately becomes boring.

An earlier introduction of the primary threat would have evened out the pace significantly. While it wouldn’t necessarily be a spoiler to say what or who is the central threat, I’ll let you see for yourself. The less you know about it Until deaththe better. That has always been my experience with films of this type.

My only other criticism is that parts of this feature are too predictable. Once we know what’s going on, it’s pretty easy to see where things are going. However, the film does have some developments that I found slightly surprising. As long as you don’t let a somewhat formulaic narrative put you off, you’ll probably have a reasonably good time. I know I did.

All in all:

If you can forgive the pacing issues and sometimes predictable nature of the narrative, Until death is an entertaining horror thriller that’s perfect for an evening with a giant box of popcorn. Megan Fox effortlessly carries the picture on her shoulders, making this film a compelling thriller with a likeable lead. Check it out on Netflix now if it sounds like your thing.

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