One of the pitfalls of spiraling Hollywood film budgets and advances in CGI technology is over reliance on the razzle dazzle at the expense of storytelling.
In the early days of Hollywood, the charismatic leading men and women were the special effects - iconic and weaving a seductive charm.
The lack of these filmmaking tools in this low budget 2D animation horror feature, " To your last death", - makes it a truly remarkable achievement.
It's gripping, catching your attention from the very beginning and doesn't let go till the very end. Well paced, constantly surprising with sudden plot turns and an unpredictable and satisfying ending.
Written by Jim Cirile and Tanya C. Klein, "To your last death" is a master class in the art of story and screenwriting.
The story opens with intrigue; our Protagonist, Miriam is the last survivor of a violent killing spree, found covered in blood and shrieking that her father is the killer.
We learn that Miriam heads up a non-profit that seeks funding to promote peace, in contrast to her father's business of developing military weaponry. I was emotionally invested in the lead character immediately, the contrast between her noble activism for peace and the corporate power structure domineering her world, including unseen cosmic forces overseeing her life as sport. Overcoming her initial passivity at being reactive to life's events and corporate control, she becomes an active protagonist on her hero's journey.
Her father, Cyrus Dekalb ( Ray Wise), invites Miriam and her siblings to his head office. They learn he is dying and this sets up hope that they will get an inheritance and closure from their horrible family history. To their shock, he has one last desire: to preserve his legacy as the last Dekalb and exact revenge on his children, who he blames from preventing him to rise to presidency of the United States.
The basic need of all great stories is a strong character, Miriam drives this story forward and is someone we can root for. She's easy to relate to, she's completely out of her depth, has no special training or natural skills but has to rise to the occasion in order to survive. Given her character is drawn in 2D animation, she feels very human, she makes mistakes, panics and this gives her triumphs so much more impact.
Miriam is a well written character with weaknesses and a clear goal and a strong character arc.
Exposition is relayed in dramatic ways without comprising the pace and thrills. As an example, the following exchange impressed me with it's command of the craft.
Miriam, hides out in the closet with her sister, as a sinister henchman chases after them. In a succinct exchange, we learn a significant amount of backstory and the character's emotional baggage.
Miriam's sister says, "You're a control freak, who always thinks she knows better. You can never give people what they need, you give them what you think they should have.
When I called you the night, before I got married. Scared not wanting to go through with it.
You gave me a lecture, about how I need to see a shrink and work through my issues. Since clearly I'm marrying my father." Miriam responds, " What did you want me to say?" The sister: "I wanted you to say, " I love you, you don't need this guy.
Overall, the dialogue is snappy and entertaining and full of nuance of every character. Highly recommend this movie.
In the early days of Hollywood, the charismatic leading men and women were the special effects - iconic and weaving a seductive charm.
The lack of these filmmaking tools in this low budget 2D animation horror feature, " To your last death", - makes it a truly remarkable achievement.
It's gripping, catching your attention from the very beginning and doesn't let go till the very end. Well paced, constantly surprising with sudden plot turns and an unpredictable and satisfying ending.
Written by Jim Cirile and Tanya C. Klein, "To your last death" is a master class in the art of story and screenwriting.
The story opens with intrigue; our Protagonist, Miriam is the last survivor of a violent killing spree, found covered in blood and shrieking that her father is the killer.
We learn that Miriam heads up a non-profit that seeks funding to promote peace, in contrast to her father's business of developing military weaponry. I was emotionally invested in the lead character immediately, the contrast between her noble activism for peace and the corporate power structure domineering her world, including unseen cosmic forces overseeing her life as sport. Overcoming her initial passivity at being reactive to life's events and corporate control, she becomes an active protagonist on her hero's journey.
Her father, Cyrus Dekalb ( Ray Wise), invites Miriam and her siblings to his head office. They learn he is dying and this sets up hope that they will get an inheritance and closure from their horrible family history. To their shock, he has one last desire: to preserve his legacy as the last Dekalb and exact revenge on his children, who he blames from preventing him to rise to presidency of the United States.
The basic need of all great stories is a strong character, Miriam drives this story forward and is someone we can root for. She's easy to relate to, she's completely out of her depth, has no special training or natural skills but has to rise to the occasion in order to survive. Given her character is drawn in 2D animation, she feels very human, she makes mistakes, panics and this gives her triumphs so much more impact.
Miriam is a well written character with weaknesses and a clear goal and a strong character arc.
Exposition is relayed in dramatic ways without comprising the pace and thrills. As an example, the following exchange impressed me with it's command of the craft.
Miriam, hides out in the closet with her sister, as a sinister henchman chases after them. In a succinct exchange, we learn a significant amount of backstory and the character's emotional baggage.
Miriam's sister says, "You're a control freak, who always thinks she knows better. You can never give people what they need, you give them what you think they should have.
When I called you the night, before I got married. Scared not wanting to go through with it.
You gave me a lecture, about how I need to see a shrink and work through my issues. Since clearly I'm marrying my father." Miriam responds, " What did you want me to say?" The sister: "I wanted you to say, " I love you, you don't need this guy.
Overall, the dialogue is snappy and entertaining and full of nuance of every character. Highly recommend this movie.