He Never Died (2015)

Jack, a social outcast, is thrust out of his comfort zone when the outside world bangs on his door and he can't contain his violent past.

Director:

Jason Krawczyk

Writer:

Jason Krawczyk

Stars:

Henry Rollins, Booboo Stewart, Kate Greenhouse

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Rollins	...	Jack
Booboo Stewart	...	Jeremy
Kate Greenhouse	...	Cara
Jordan Todosey	...	Andrea
David Richmond-Peck	...	Steve (as David Richmond Peck)
James Cade	...	Short
Don Francks	...	Goatee Man
Steven Ogg	...	Alex
Scott Edgecombe	...	Bartender
Robert Thomas	...	Bathroom Man
Elias Edraki	...	Ben
Tamara Almeida	...	Clerk
Walter Alza	...	Derrick
Scotty Cook	...	Flying Man
Karl Campbell	...	Gary

Storyline

Jack's in a rut. Depression and severe anti-social behavior has whittled down his existence to sleeping and watching television. He spends his days in a diner, playing church bingo and sleeping. When some hired thugs show up Jack's life is stirred up and the question of his existence comes to light.

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Plot Keywords:

immortal | bullet extraction | father daughter relationship | vampire | headshot | 

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Taglines:

The message on my knife may bring me to life

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence and language throughout

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Twitter

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ele Nunca Morre

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alternate Ending Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one scene, Jack takes out an ancient knife and reads an inscription from it: "Legi convictio scientia veritate", which means, "knowledge of the law, conviction of the truth."

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Goofs

The bullets that Jack/Cain pulls out out of his body are still in pristine shape. Any impact should have made the bullets misshapen to some degree.

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Quotes

Andrea: When's the last time you were with someone, anyway?
Jack: How old are you?
Andrea: Nineteen.
Jack: So - nineteen years.
Andrea: [pause] Oh.
Jack: Yeah.

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Soundtracks

He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
Traditional
Performed & Arranged by Charlie Kim
Courtesy of Fine Gold Songs

User Reviews

A bit of gruesomeness. A bit of humor. And this set in an original storyline. A surprising discovery at the end of the year.

"My landlord thought I was robbing my own apartment. Really? Isn't your landlord, like, 90 years old?"

A brilliant, original horror. That's what you might say after watching "He never died". A subtle mix of sometimes gory images and clever humor. And this shown in an even surprising way by Henry Rollins, the former front-man of the legendary punk band "Black flag". A bundle of muscles who already surprised in the past with his poetry. And now he shows that he's also capable to take a leading role for his account. His stoic calmness and indifference create hilarious situations several times. And the story on his own is contrived in such an original way. I watched with amazement and after a while I was wondering what the hell it was about anyway. Did it have something to do with vampires? Was Jack a solitary zombie (due to his grayish look) who attempts to remain anonymous? And what about those demonic and satanic sounds he sometimes makes?

Jack (Henry Rollins) seems depressed and drags on through life as a worn out man. The only things he does to fill his days is sleep, eat something in the same small restaurant and occasionally play bingo among the elderly. Waitress Cara (Kate Greenhouse) tries to change Jack's fatalistic attitude. But she isn't really successful in doing that. Jack clearly isn't enthusiastic about her flirting. Most of the time a quiet, nondescript look is his answer to it and then he turns his back on her without blinking. Also, his daughter Andrea (Jordan Todosey), who appeared out of nowhere, can't break down this erected wall of aloofness. It's obvious Jack isn't an ordinary, average citizen. The title of the film, of course, reveals much and isn't really a spoiler. Apparently Jack is immortal and needs his dose of blood on a regular base. When his blood supplier Jeremy (Booboo Stewart) (an intern who works in a hospital, I suppose) runs into trouble with a local gang of criminals, he's no longer able to provide Jack with the much needed blood. After his daughter is being kidnapped, all hell breaks loose with the obvious casualties. Except Jack, of course ...

Rollins is a performer and this movie was the appropriate stage for him. His imperturbable gaze and brute force gave him a Schwarzenegger-like appearance. The limited conversations with brief, evasive answers contributed to the overall tone of this absurd film. A fatal head injury made such an impression on him as a tiny splinter in his finger. Unmoved he uses pliers to treat the injuries. At that time I wondered whether it was meant humorously or creepy. He's an emotionless bloke who storms through a decaying society like a bulldozer, full of rage and aggressiveness. At first Jack seems to be a dull figure, but when his true identity is revealed in the end, his way of reacting and his world-weariness is justified.

I'm afraid that "He never died" will only appeal to a limited audience . And I belong to that limited audience. I appreciate such an absurd horror filled with brutal violence and a special storyline once and a while. The subtle humor was enjoyable. And above all, they made sure it didn't become a parody. "He never died" exceeds all horror-comedy up to now. And probably until eternity ...