Black Fawn Films and Breakthrough Entertainment’s I’ll Take Your Dead combines the aftermath of big city crime and paranormal thrills. From director Chad Archibald (The Heretics, Bite), the film stars Aidan Devine (WolfCop), Ava Preston (The Strain), Jess Salguerio (Channel Zero), Brandon McKnight (The Shape of Water), Michael Reventar (Impulse), and Ari Millen (Orphan Black).
William (Aidan Devine) knows how to get rid of the bodies. This gruesome talent and surrounding reputation attracts some of the worst criminals from the nearby city. However, it helps the widower provide for his daughter, Gloria (Ava Preston), and keep their farmhouse. Although he has career criminals at his doorstep, he keeps trouble at bay by doing his job, and doing it well. That is, until one of the bodies delivered isn’t quite dead. After his daughter forms a bond with the woman who survived (Jess Salguerio), and who William is holding hostage temporarily, he decides to protect her when the gunmen seek to finish the job. In addition to being a crime thriller, I’ll Take Your Dead is also a paranormal thriller as young Gloria has the ability to see the spirits of the dead who have been disposed of by her father.
Archibal, who also co-wrote the film with Jayme Laforest, blends elements together that feel like they shouldn’t work. But, they do. The hardened gangster city criminals almost seem alien at William’s isolated snow-covered farm house. The contrast between the parties could also not be more drastic. Similarly, the extent of the supernatural component was surprising, especially as it’s embedded within a more realistic storyline. By the end, all of these pieces interlock in a satisfying, and even emotional, way.
The main cast- Aiden Devine, Ava Preston, and Jess Salguerio- have believable chemistry, with Preston acting well above her young age. Aiden Devine was an excellent casting choice, playing William with the perfect balance of man forced to keep a tough exterior while dealing with guilt and worries on the inside. The setting and cinematography were beautiful and makes the viewer feel just as isolated as those living within the house. This makes the “I see dead people” scenes even more eerie.
The main issue to be found within I’ll Take Your Dead is the pacing. Drama takes over for the bulk of the film and doesn’t let up too often. It would have helped to perhaps see William disposing of bodies or dealing with other clients throughout. However, the pacing picks up towards the end, which did not disappoint.
Overall, I’ll Take Your Dead proves to be another solid film for Black Fawn Films and Chad Archibald. The film is gritty, bleak, well-acted, and has some thrilling scares along the way.
I’ll Take Your Dead is now available on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and Digital.
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