I'll Take Your Dead Review

I had the privilege last night of watching I’ll Take Your Dead., a new horror, drama, plain weird film set to have a limited release theatrically and on VOD beginning May 3rd, then a video release from Shout/Scream Factory later in the year.  It’s definitely a very original film from writer and director Chad Archibald.  It offers, to say the least a very different take on supernatural films.  It boasts a really great cast and should do well with the horror community.   By no means is it a terrifying jump scare movie, but more of a supernatural crime drama.
 
It stars Aidan Devine as William, and Ave Preston as his daughter Gloria.  William is a simple farmer who wants what’s best for his daughter.  He takes on a second job, primarily for her protection from the local mob.  As William lives out in the middle of basically nowhere, the mobsters will drop off bodies of their victims for William to dispose of. He becomes known as “The Candy Butcher” as the legend the criminal element spread is that he’s a cannibal who eats the bodies he is given.  He doesn’t really have a problem doing it, and in fact his daughter knows, and doesn’t mind either.  She just makes sure William promises never to dispose of children.  Also his daughter is able to see the ghosts of the victims his disposes of.  Other than that they are a pretty happy little family. Gloria, even though she can see ghost is actually a fairly normal girl.  Which is a really nice touch for films of the genera.
 
Everything is going ok, or at least as well as can be when your job is disposing of bodies until William gets his next drop off.  It’s a group of three, two guys and a young lady.  Now as William has to cut these bodies up, and as he is a strict professional he has a makeshift operating table he uses.  When he throws the woman on there she starts to move.  No she isn’t a zombie, she’s just not dead.  She’s badly wounded, but still alive. Her name is, as we come to find out Jackie (Jess Salgueiro) and the mob really wants her dead.  William may dispose of bodies but he’s not really much of a killer so he decides to keep her tied up (can’t have her running away and blowing his cover) and with the help of Gloria nurse her back to health..
 
Ironically Gloria does not mind this too much, as Jackie, in a weird way begins to fill the hole in her life that she has since her mother has passed away.  Even though she is tied up she still becomes essentially part of the family. However the fact that she is essentially a hostage doesn’t help matters, and also the fact the mob finds out she is alive and really want her dead complicates things further.
 
The film is really well made, and runs at 100mph.  It’s a very short 84min long so it gives you no room to breathe.  The characters are introduced right off the get go, and the very little backstory given is spread out throughout the film in minutes.  That’s not a bad thing however as it never gets dull.  I was invested from the beginning, to the weird supernatural crime finish. 
 
The blend of styles as well as the acting make this definitely one to check out.  As I said its getting a limited VOD and Theater run, but if you miss it then it will get the Shout/Scream Factory treatment later this year.  Either way don’t pass up your chance to check this out.  Fans of Crime, horror, and just plain tension you’re sure to get a kick out of this weird blend of film.
 
Overall 3 out of 5 Stars