Writer/director Bradley Scott Sullivan, here making his directorial début, came up with the idea for I Didn’t Come Here to Die, a film about volunteers, rather unsurprisingly, from being a volunteer himself. The organisation Sullivan was volunteering for allowed them to use chainsaws but forbid ‘ camp-ground fornication‘. The amusing paradox has been turned into a witty, unexpected and surprising genre flick that has deservedly been called one of the best horror film débuts since Sam Raimi unleashed the original Evil Dead.
The opening scene is a bit of a red herring leading the viewer into believing this to be more standard fair. Rest assured there’s more going on here than first meets the eye (pun intended) and so as not to spoil too much I’ll let the press blurb detail the plot because I’m terrible at letting stuff slip out. Six young volunteers set up camp in the middle of nowhere to work on a project for kids. A little too much booze and one horrific, stomach-churning accident spark a series of outrageous events. Alone in the woods guilt and paranoia begin to take hold and the bodies start to pile up.
The picture quality is variable and may put off some whereas the sound is fine. Whether this is a deliberate move on the part of the maker’s who knows but for it’s estimated budget of $100,000 I’ve seen lower budget films which a much clearer picture. Also some of the on-line reviews have commented negatively on the director’s choice to film during the day and then darken the scenes to make them look like they were filmed at night whereas I’d expect this from a low budget film.
I Didn’t Come Here to Die is assured film-making backed up with a decent script, genuine laughs and one stand-out gruesome moment that should get people talking about it and spreading the word. The majority of low budget horror follows a standard template to appease an undemanding core audience, by churning out a run-of-the-mill slasher. There’s no bogeyman here just an ever spiralling number of bizarre accidents that appear to have been the result of our lead feeling jinxed. There’s a major chainsaw mishap, eyeballs pronged and limbs lopped off. The major chainsaw mishap elicits both laughs and peering out from behind your hand. It’s a classic scene in the making and both Julie (Indiana Adams) and Tim (Travis Scott Newman) play it perfectly.
The cast perfectly nail the script’s mixture of comedy and horror with Madi Goff stealing every scene she is in as the awful Miranda, who at first alienates everyone by being so by-the-book but desperately wants to fit in with everyone. Elsewhere in the cast Emmy Robbin, as the team’s leader Sophia, provides the boobs, Kurt Cole, as the jinxed Danny, is decent as a likeable lead and Niko Red Star excels as the volunteering team’s arsehole, Chris. He pulls off the mean feat of making the potential most irritating character, after Miranda, still a complete git but a fun one to watch too.
Whilst the concept of I Didn’t Come Here to Die feels fresh, it does have a slight similarity to the equally amusing horror comedy Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil in terms of the nature by which the characters are dispatched. The ending is a welcome gory cherry to place upon, and complete, a deliciously wicked offering. I Didn’t Come Here to Die is by no means perfect, the cop conversation towards the end ruins the pacing, but does exhibit enough strength to ensure that the film becomes a cult through word-of-mouth and that director Bradley Scott Sullivan is a name to watch for.