Amazing Fantasy Fest Coverage
They Call Her Death review
The crowd favorite at Amazing Fantasy Fest…They Call Her Death features a fun, relentless tale of vengeance in the old west.
Festival reviews will not contain spoilers.
They Call Her Death
Directed by Austin Snell
Written Austin Snell
Starring Sheri Rippel, Jeff Boyer, Devan R. Garcia, Dane Shobe, Shawn Nyberg, Jason Puff and Patrick Poe
They Call Her Death Review
The highlight of the inaugural Amazing Fantasy Fest (in my humble opinion) took center stage on night two. They Call Her Death is a rip roaring, crowd pleasing, whirlwind of a movie. It played before a wildly receptive crowd following a short film called Forward directed by Slasher Days of Summer standout Paul McGinnis. Writer/director Austin Snell was on hand for a spirited Q&A following the festival premiere of his standout feature film. He talked about the decision to shoot They Call Her Death on film…and why he’s never going back. It was a great way to cap a screening that provided an incredible theater experience.
I don’t even know where to start with They Call Her Death. It’s an incredibly fun time. I guess that’s where I started. Shot on 16mm film, the movie has style to burn and a frantic, bloody, hilarious script to use for kindling. A throwback to…I’m not totally sure what. It feels vintage in the freshest, most original ways. It’s like an exploitation movie married a spaghetti western and they invited an absurdist comedy whose punchlines are punctuated with a gory splatter to form a throuple. I don’t know if that explains things well enough…so let’s just go with a capitalized FUN.
Molly Pray (Sherri Ripel) is content living the quiet life outside of town with her husband Thomas (Patrick Poe). When he is shot down for a crime he didn’t commit…Molly finds no help from the town sheriff (Jeff Boyer). She has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. Molly cuts a path of bloody vengeance to track down the man who killed her husband…and end the criminal conspiracy that brought death to her door.
They Call Her Death has far too many amazing moments to appreciate in one viewing. It’s hilariously violent and chock-full of deliciously committed performances. Molly’s revenge tour is a non-stop thrill ride that should be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible with a bucket of popcorn on your lap while shoulder to shoulder with friends. This movie needs to be experienced with a crowd. If there was a film God, it would run as a midnight movie for years. In lieu of that, it certainly demands a physical release so every frame can be enjoyed from the comfort of one’s own home.
Of course, what happens to They Call Her Death in the future is impossible to know. The unique style and raucous reactions should get people talking…hopefully to distributors. During the Q&A, the production team revealed that the movie has been playing just as well in all its stops. Audiences are reacting to it as intended…loudly and repeatedly. The nature of Festival reviews always puts me in a bit of a tough spot. Some excellent films come around that you desperately want to recommend but there’s usually nowhere to send people to watch them. Of the seven films reviewed from last year’s version of this festival…three of them have yet to be released in any format.
I suspect that They Call Her Death will avoid such a fate. It’s simply too impressive an effort to be ignored. Writer/director Austin Snell has created something so rich, so full of life, that it’s impossible to imagine it dying on the vine. For my money, They Call Her Death was THE movie of Amazing Fantasy Fest. It didn’t take home the big prize…that went to Black Eyed Susan…but it may have made the biggest impression on the audience. It’s a brilliantly entertaining piece of pulp fiction.
I’ve purposely avoided discussing any of the showstopping moments in this review. They Call Her Death deserves to be entered into unspoiled of the absurd fun that awaits. I sincerely hope that, when it does become available in some form, you will take this review as a firm suggestion to seek it out. It wasn’t just the best movie at Amazing Fantasy Fest…it’s one of the best movies of the year. Unfortunately, what year it actually releases…remains to be seen.
They Call Her Death is a masterclass of independent filmmaking. It’s an unforgettable experience that will have you laughing one minute and picking your jaw up off the ground the next. Incredible moments are waiting to be discovered…all packaged in a gorgeous package wrapped in a story of bloody revenge. If you enjoy anything that movies do…They Call Her Death was made for you.
Scare Value
For my money, They Call Her Death was the showstopping number of Amazing Fantasy Fest. This is a hilarious, thrilling, crowd-pleasing throwback tale of western revenge. Watching the trailer below will provide you with a taste of what you’re in store for…but it doesn’t do the full production justice. A wildly bloody, funny romp from start to finish. See it with friends. Have a blast.
