by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s U.K. home-invasion thriller Everyone is Going to Die, by writer/director Craig Tuohy and Golden Gate Motion Pictures.
Synopsis
On his daughter Imogen's (Gledisa Arthur) birthday, wealthy father Daniel's (Brad Moore) reconciliation attempt is hijacked by two female burglars (Jaime Winstone and Chiara D’Anna). A shakedown evolves into a lethal cat-and-mouse game as hidden motives emerge.
The Good
Joseph: Far above the average home invasion thriller, Everyone is Going to Die delivers tension and jaw-dropping shocks — and that’s before it even gets to its disturbing third act. The term Hitchockian gets thrown about loosely at times, but I feel that Tuohy has crafted a thriller worthy of that praise, and I would venture to say that there are some Claude Chabrol-style elements at play here, as well. Of the four main characters, not one is truly likable at first, though troubled teenager Imogen is certainly the most initially sympathetic. Moore, Winstone, D’Anna, and Arthur all turn in gripping performances. So good is everyone, and so taut is the suspense, that I was so focused on the characters and proceedings that I didn’t even consider this being basically a single-location film until after I finished watching.
Mike: It’s no secret that home invasion films give me the heebie jeebies, so when Everyone is Going to Die first started I had some bad feelings. Luckily for me there’s a reason for the invasion here being more than just a couple of ne’er do wells causing trouble, and while the actual reason isn’t revealed until a hard-to-watch finale, it was apparent enough that I wasn’t on edge the entire film.
The slow reveal that Tuohy unspools deals with some pretty serious stuff and probably warrant some trigger warnings for some of the subject matter, but to do so would ruin the payoff that really seals the deal.
With a small cast it’s important that everyone brings their A-game and everyone here does just that, bringing their characters to life while avoiding some of the more well-trod-upon ground of characters in similar situations. Like Shrek and onions, these folks have layers and it’s a treat to watch them get peeled away.
The Bad
Joseph: I don’t have much to say here other than that a few “You’ll know soon enough” type of proclamations are made that unnecessarily seem to slow things down, making the already tight 84-minute running time feel longer than it is — at least it felt that way to me.
Mike: There’s a fair amount of man-hate going on, which seems to be the go-to destination for a lot of films in the past few years. However, this story doesn’t work without it, and while I’m not turned off by it and there’s a very good reason for it, I can possibly see some folks a bit turned away by it before the slow reveal shows that it might just be warranted.
A little bit seems to have been lost in the editing process in an effort to keep this tight and focused. Nothing that takes you out of the story, mind you, just a feeling of maybe a few extra lines here or there could have built a little more tension or set the course for things that followed a wee bit differently. There’s also something to be said about truth in advertising.
The Verdict
Joseph: The third-act revelation and action are highly unsettling, and many viewers will certainly be emotionally affected by it, especially if they or someone they know has suffered from the same trauma. We don’t want to give away spoilers here, but potential viewers should be aware of that fact. What happens is for sobering effect, not for the sake of gratuitousness. Everyone is Going to Die is that rare thriller that truly sends a message. Among its suspenseful, mysterious, and violent moments, there is consideration of trauma and deep psychological scars. Masterfully written, helmed, shot, and performed, it is a complex genre film of the highest order.
Mike: Writing a review for something that deals with very serious subject matter AND that contains a big third act reveal can be tough to get in words. On one hand you want to examine what’s going on, but on the other hand our reviews where we list good and bad aspects can be a bit of a tightrope to walk. All of which is my way of saying I can’t say as much about Everyone is Going to Die as I’d like to.
There’s some much better than average acting on display here with how the subject matter is handled and presented, enough so that it becomes hard to tell, at times, who you should ultimately be rooting for.
With the caveat that there is some subject matter that might be awfully personal, this is certainly a well-scripted, well-acted, and well-put–together, tension-filled home invasion film that flips the script and delivers a gut punch of a finale.
Everyone Is Going to Die
Directed By: Craig Tuohy
Written By: Craig Tuohy
Starring: Jaime Winstone, Chiara D’Anna, Bradley Moore, Gledisa Arthur
Run Time: 1h 24m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2024