We caught this film while attending the Montreal Horrorfest at Montreal Comiccon, 2013. Well, I caught it, but my partner in crime, King Hazard had to slip out to be at another engagement. He did see enough for us to establish a conversation about the film. Our conclusion is that Death Do Us Part is an unintentional comedy horror. It has to be, because there’s not a whole lot that works in this film other than the cliches it employs.
Let’s start off with a look at the cast. Yes, they are all beautiful, looking like they walked off the set of some midday soap opera. While they are age appropriate for getting married and for a “Jack and Jill” stag, they are not age appropriate for the “no parties” comment made by Bo the caretaker. Such a comment would make more sense if the group were college aged, but they’re not; they’re all 40-ish, well past the age of “party till you puke” and “trash everything in site.”
The “asshole” of the group of revelers is… drum roll please, Chet (Kyle Cassie). Is Chet not the asshole of asshole names? Despite the hyperbolic nature of the character, Chet is the most believable member of the group, just wanting to have a good time at all cost.
The rest of the male cast consists of the groom (an unlikely player), his brother (creepy and with ulterior motives), and the aforementioned caretaker, Bo. Now, Bo is supposed to be off as a character and he’s supposed to draw our suspicions. However, the part is painfully overacted by Dave Collette. Watching him was like watching a first grader play a possum trapped in headlights in the school play.
The women in the cast were all weak in two parts. Weak performances and weak characters who are just willing to accept abuse. I will say that actress Emilie Ullerup could be someone to look out for.
Finally, there’s the Scooby Doo-whodunit ending. The problem here is that there’s no foreshadowing for any of the possible suspects. Maybe we’re not supposed to see it coming, but usually there’s some sort of clue earlier on in the story. Not so here.
Death Do Us Part synopsis:
Kennedy Jamieson, a wealthy socialite, has waited her whole life to have the perfect wedding. Engaged to the charming Ryan Harris, the young couple is just a week away from the big day but hasn’t had a chance to celebrate their respective bachelor/bachelorette parties. Ryan’s best man Chet books a remote cabin in the woods to throw them a ‘Jack and Jill’ stag that they’ll never forget. Out in the middle of nowhere, things take a horrifying turn as members of the group are brutally picked off one by one. What started out as a celebration quickly descends into a bloody nightmare. Friendships are ripped apart and accusations fly in this blood-filled psychological horror with a whodunit twist.
Rock Hard \m/
