Reading the synopsis for the Seabold Krebs written and directed dramatic horror Bury Me When I'm Dead (in his feature length directorial debut), you could be forgiven for not seeing where the horror in this bleak and morose storyline would come from. In reality, I would say it is far more woolly whether there is anything supernatural happening or not. Thankfully, in the absence of much horror, there is a mostly decent film.
Catherine (Charlotte Hope - The Nun) has a seizure one day and learns from the doctors that she has inoperable brain cancer. While she is given the option for chemo, which could extend her life by several years, she instead chooses to go without treatment. Her and her husband, the unfaithful, yet dedicated Henry (Devon Terrell) decide to head away to New Hampshire to a holiday home of her rich parents. It is here she reveals to Henry that she wishes to be buried naturally in a clearing near the home, far away from the reach of her controlling parents, in particular, her lawyer father Gary (Richard Bekins - You're Not Alone, Daredevil TV show). Henry agrees to this, but unknown to Catherine, he has already been threatened by the man, with him stating he will take everything from Henry if he doesn't relinquish the body to her family come Catherine's death. It isn't long before she passes, and as agreed with Gary, Henry gives up her body, breaking his promise to Catherine's dying wish. A serious of bad events begins to lead the man to believe that he is being haunted from Catherine beyond the grave, for failing to give her the peace in death that she so desired.
It was over an hour into this barely one hundred minute movie that I realised that not much artificial horror had actually happened. Sure, the story isn't a happy one, dealing with the death of a loved one and the grief that follows, but on screen horror had been at an extreme minimum. When it does arrive it is very brief, a few nightmare sequences and a trippy arthouse style sex scene with Henry's affair partner Rebecca (Makenzie Leigh - Salem's Lot 2024) is about the lot you get. These sequences can easily be seen as Henry applying anything bad that occurs as being a result of breaking his wife's promise, explaining them in his mind as a way to process what is happening. Gary renege's on his promise to Henry, vowing to ruin the man's life despite following his orders was hardly surprising seeing as how much the man obviously disliked him. To be fair, Henry doesn't really deserve the happiness he is seeking. He has chosen to be with Rebecca as she is pregnant with his child. Not the best situation, but at least he didn't deny the affair when Charlotte brings it up, and Rebecca was liked by her. Henry was a lost protagonist, and one who spends much of the film in sorrow, turning to drink, but not really taking his anger out on others. The small cast were rounded out by hunter Buck (Mike Houston - Jessica Jones TV series), a more common man role compared to the rest, but he also shares in the discussion about what it is to live and to get old in one key scene.
My main issue comes with the key events that happen within Bury Me I'm Dead to zoom the story on in the third act. This includes a big bugbear of mine, a tired trope of something that only ever happens in movies. Without going into spoilers, the second this character did what they did I was fully expecting what happened to them to happen, and so it wasn't the slightest surprise when events played out with nothing but a quick eye roll from me. This again occurred later on at the film's conclusion, perhaps slightly less surprising, but hardly something that hasn't happened in countless other movies. By the time the end credits rolled it was clear that the film was far more of a drama than any type of horror or thriller.
Bury Me When I'm Dead was a well cast drama with a good assortment of flawed characters. Its horror elements were extremely light, and I wouldn't in good conscience say it really includes much of that at all. Still, it told its story in a mostly intelligent way, outside of those clumsily implemented late film twists. Bury Me When I'm Dead came to Digital and VOD beginning July 18th.
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