Labeling a film as an “action thriller” can mean a lot of different things, from intense stunts to impressive fight sequences to brutal kills. What it generally does not mean is much talking, as the whole point of an action thriller is to deliver as much action as possible to keep the audience on the edge of their seats to see what happens next.
The makers of Til Death Do Us Part boldly decided to go in the opposite direction, much to the film’s detriment. The tedious and nonsensical film opens with a Groom (Ser’Darius Blain) waiting for his Bride (Natalie Burn) to walk down the aisle. However, she gets cold feet and retreats home, where the groom’s friends, including his Best Man (Cam Gigandet), track her down.
They’re not there to convince her to come back, though. As it turns out, they’re all part of a criminal syndicate known as The University, and the Bride backing out of the wedding is akin to turning her back on the group. With no intention of going quietly, the Bride takes on every groomsman in turn, with death the only method of escape.
Directed by Timothy Woodward, Jr. and written by Chad Law and Shane Dax Taylor, the film is one of the most lackluster and boring attempts at an action thriller in recent memory. Billed as “From the creator of Final Destination” (a stretch, as it refers to one of the producers who wrote that film), it has long sections with nothing resembling action. Instead, the filmmakers fill time in the 109-minute film with lots of talking, dragging the story to halt on multiple occasions.
Most of these “conversations” are deadly dull, with characters monologuing instead of showing why they’re such great criminals, with a bad script adding to the ineptitude. The worst offender is the Best Man, who sends off the other groomsmen to do the dirty work while he talks to himself incessantly. There are also flashback sequences with the Bride and Groom on vacation in Puerto Rico, where they meet an older couple who also drone on in a stupefying manner.
When they actually get around to fight sequences, the scenes contain little that would redeem the film. Most are pretty tame, and even those that up the gore factor feel like the actors are just going through the paces. There is zero excitement to the action, mostly because nothing else in the film demonstrates any stakes for the characters involved. Each side is supposed to kill the other, but the film never makes you care about why they hate each other so much.
Predictably, nobody in the cast is able to rise above the material. Only two actors – Blain (the Jumanji series) and Jason Patric – have any kind of name recognition, with everyone else overacting to the degree that their performances are laughable in the worst way. Action movies aren’t supposed to be subtle, and yet the actors still manage to cross a line that make them close to unwatchable.
Photo courtesy of Cineverse
Cam Gigandet and Natalie Burn in Til Death Do Us Part.
Til Death Do Us Part is easily the worst film of the year so far, and it’s not even a close contest. With false promises, horrible dialogue, and a dearth of action, it’s an affront to anyone unfortunate enough to have to sit through it, and even those who don’t.
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Til Death Do Us Part opens in select theaters on August 4.
