I’ll Take Your Dead tells the story of William (Aidan Devine). Despite living and working in a rural farm, people in the inner city know him as the Candy Man Butcher. He got that nickname from his other work of cutting people up.
William’s life of disposing of bodies for urban gang bangers is relatively fine with the exception of a few snags. One, his daughter Gloria (Ava Preston) is starting to see the ghosts of the people he cut up. Two, one of the bodies came alive.
There have been a few good horror films this year. And this is part of that genre that chooses to do shock cuts and jolts. That scene between William and the woman who comes alive is effective, and so are the other scares after that.
I’ll Take Your Dead also takes advantage of its rural setting as a backdrop of North American dystopia. William and Gloria live in a place where crime supposedly is less prevalent. But it seeps into their lives and warps them.
I’ll Take Your Dead does have its archetypes, like Gloria being a precocious child. But Preston effectively stands her ground while being around mostly adult characters. She also dominates in scenes with the person who comes alive, Jackie (Jess Salguiero).
There are also flaws in Jackie as a character. When she regains consciousness she does some things that aren’t the smartest. She asks for help from other characters who doesn’t have her best interests. Nonetheless, Salguiero ensures that Jackie isn’t just a damsel.
Besides, what Jackie does helps drive the plot into its exciting third act. And despite having a lot of men in the cast, its focus is on how two young women’s resilience. Which is a nice surprise from a genre full of death.
- Release Date: 10/11/2018
