For a long while A Horrible Way to Die seems like two entirely separate stories clumsily edited together. Like two pieces of string that go their own way for what seems like ages before meeting at the ends to create a nice neat bow.
The first tale tells of two recovering alcoholics who awkwardly and nervously commence a new relationship.
Tale two follows a serial killer on the run and on the job, opportunistically picking off strangers along the journey to satiate his psychopathic urges.
The dynamic between the two plot lines isn’t made evident – at least in no way that I spotted – until very late, and it would be very unfair to the film to spoil it here. What I will say is that while the idea itself is decent, and it took a lot of patience to pull it off, I question whether the often dull and confusing journey was really worth the destination.
Where the complete story might be middling however, at least the editing and directing shows promise. There are many weird camera angles and moments with a little flair, and even if the story is lacking, at least they tried something new. This one didn’t pan out, maybe the next one will…
Final Rating – 6.5 / 10. A slow burn horror film with a difference. Not an improvement. Bit a difference.