Review: Why Don’t You Just Die
Blu-ray: Why Don’t You Just Die (2018)
Wide eyed Matvei (Aleksandr Kuznetsov) turns up at a door in a Russian apartment block, hiding a hammer behind his back. He’s nervous, he’s there at the behest of his girlfriend Olya (Evgeniya Kregzhde) and his intent is murder. Andrei (Vitaliy Khaev) answers the door, he’s a burly, Phil Mitchell looking Russian detective who knows something is up as soon as he opens the door.
What follows is a masterclass by writer/director Kirill Sokolov in violent dark humour, from child rape to death by every gory method you can imagine. Bathed in ‘Hammersque’ technicolour and scored to something straight out of the Dollars Trilogy, this film is a delight.
Matvei, filled with good intentions despite being ready to kill, is duped into a story as twisty as Treasure of the Sierra Madre and as western as a Leone. A drill, several walls, knives and furniture all serve as weapons. Based almost in its entirety in closeted apartments that look like they smell of boiled animal fat and fags, director Sokolov makes the narrative jump back and forth in time revealing a story that although simple, works beautifully … or should that be bloodily?
Arrow yet again have produced a great package and the extras on this are fab. Interestingly one of the behind the scenes pieces show what appear to be childhood scenes between Olya and Andrei and I would have liked to have seen them as deleted scenes.
Why Don’t You Just Die is a great, fun, gory film, which also has a satisfying end.
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
- High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
- Original lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and PCM 2.0 stereo soundtracks
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new interview with author and critic Kim Newman, exploring Why Don’t You Just Die! within the context of the long-standing tradition of single location cinema
- Exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from rehearsals and the film set
- Four short films by Kirill Sokolov: Could Be Worse, The Outcome, The Flame and the award-winning Sisyphus is Happy (Best Director and Gold Frame awards, 2013 Unprecedented Cinema International Festival of Short Film)
- Theatrical trailer
- Kirill Sokolov’s complete original storyboard for the film (BD-ROM content)
- Reversible sleeve featuring two choices of artwork
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Neil Mitchell
Why Don’t You Just Die is released on 20th April 2020.
Review by Tina from a disc kindly supplied by Arrow Films via Fetch Publicity.
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