Out of Death

An exhilarating opening scene sees retired law enforcer Jack Harris (Bruce Willis) aiming a gun at two uniformed officers. It promises an exciting premise but regrettably Mike Burns’s meandering and monotonous Out of Death doesn’t deliver.

The viewers discover that the police are in fact corrupt drug dealers when hiker Shannon (Jamie King) witnesses one of them murder an associate. The character then finds herself on the run from the very people who should be protecting her. A game of cat and mouse ensues as the protagonist endeavours to rescue the fleeing woman and bring down the crooked cops. It’s a story that’s been told copious times before and while there is potential to present it in a new and innovative way, viewers are instead provided with a generic and pedestrian piece of cinema that’s almost instantly forgettable.

Willis is obviously the big draw but the star has relatively little screen time. The actor seems somewhat lacklustre as he goes through the motions, breathing little life into an underdeveloped character that would have benefited greatly from an injection of energy. It’s more than apparent that the bulk of the budget went on his pay cheque. Although the scenery of the forest – where almost the entirety of the 95-minute film is set – adds to the atmosphere, the overall look and feel of the picture is rather rudimentary.

Fortunately, King elevates proceedings with a much more compelling performance, although she too is provided with incredibly thin material. The overwritten and sluggish script needs an edit and unfortunately impedes on the overall pace. A good number of scenes are not needed and far too much exposition creeps in, especially where Willis’ character is concerned.

It’s not all bad. There are some genuine thrills and if one simply embraces the easy-to-digest escapism, they will be somewhat entertained. Sadly, memorable is not the word for this story and the plot doesn’t have a significant amount to say about anything either. If greater effort had gone into the creation and development of the characters, audiences would have far more to invest in. Ultimately there is very little to care about or to take from this safe and sedate offering.

Jonathan Marshall

Out of Death is released digitally on demand on 2^nd August 2021.

Watch the trailer for Out of Death here: