Name: Out of Death
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Released: 2021-07-16T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Jaime King, Bruce Willis, Lala Kent, Tyler Jon Olson, Kelly Greyson

The opening shot of Out of Death should be unforgettable—a woman alone in the woods, scattering her father’s ashes into the wind, the camera lingering on the delicate moment before cutting to the chaos of a drug deal gone wrong. Instead, director Mike Burns settles for something more generic: a quick establishing shot, a fleeting glimpse of crime, and then the sudden, jarring shift into pursuit. It’s a missed opportunity, one that sets the tone for a film that never fully capitalizes on its early promise.

Burns, working with a script that feels more interested in chase sequences than character or consequence, delivers an action thriller that is competently made but ultimately forgettable. The film’s production was fraught with complications—COVID-19 safety protocols delayed shooting, and the entire project was wrapped in just nine days. Bruce Willis, already showing signs of the health struggles that would lead to his retirement, was filmed in a single day, completing 25 pages of dialogue in a marathon session. The strain of these circumstances is evident in the final product.

What Out of Death does well, it does efficiently. The action scenes—chases through dense woods, tense standoffs between Shannon Mathers (Jaime King) and the corrupt cops led by Billie Stanhope (Lala Kent)—are serviceable, if not particularly innovative. King brings a scrappy determination to her role, playing Shannon as a woman pushed to her limits but refusing to break. There’s a raw energy in her performance that keeps the film afloat during its more chaotic moments. She sells the desperation of a woman fighting for survival, even when the script doesn’t give her much else to work with.

Willis, meanwhile, is a shadow of his former self. His delivery is uneven, and his character, Jack Harris, feels underdeveloped—a retired sheriff grappling with grief who steps in to help Shannon without much depth behind his motivations. The film tries to give him a backstory—his wife’s recent death from cancer, his isolation in a remote mountain cabin—but these elements feel tacked on rather than integrated into the narrative. Willis’s performance lacks the gravitas and charisma that once defined his roles, and it’s hard not to feel a pang of sadness watching him struggle through scenes that were clearly rushed.

The film’s attempt to tackle themes of corruption and survival is where it stumbles most. The script throws in ideas about systemic police misconduct and personal redemption, but never fully explores them. Instead, it settles for a familiar cat-and-mouse dynamic that lacks the tension or stakes needed to make it compelling. The dialogue is often stiff, and key moments—such as Shannon’s decision to trust Jack—feel rushed rather than earned.

Visually, Out of Death is functional but unremarkable. The cinematography leans heavily on dark, shadowy compositions, reinforcing the film’s grim tone but doing little to distinguish it from other low-budget thrillers. The sound design is similarly uninspired, relying on generic action-movie cues rather than anything that heightens the tension or immerses the viewer.

The critical reception for Out of Death was brutal, with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that the film squanders its potential, failing to elevate itself above the tropes of the genre. The Guardian called it “a hamfisted paean of praise to the idea of ‘open carry’ gun ownership,” while Todd Jorgenson of Cinemalogue dismissed it as a “formulaic cat-and-mouse thriller.” Even Willis’s performance, which earned him a Golden Raspberry Award nomination before the category was retracted due to his health, was widely panned.

Where Out of Death might have found an audience is in its R-rated violence and drug use, elements that give it a gritty edge. However, these aspects feel more like genre checkboxes than meaningful storytelling choices. The film’s attempts at social commentary—exploring corruption within law enforcement or Shannon’s personal journey to honor her father—are half-hearted at best.

The film’s pacing is another issue. At just under 90 minutes, Out of Death feels rushed, as if the crew was racing against the clock to finish shooting before COVID-19 protocols forced them to shut down. The action sequences are often disjointed, with editing that cuts too quickly between shots, making it difficult to follow the choreography or understand the stakes of each confrontation.

One of the film’s few bright spots is its supporting cast. Lala Kent, playing the corrupt cop Billie Stanhope, brings a menacing presence to her role. Her performance is one of the more memorable aspects of the film, as she embodies the ruthless ambition of a character who will stop at nothing to protect her secrets. Kelly Greyson, playing Pam, Jack’s niece, and Michael Sirow, playing Hank Rivers, the corrupt sheriff running for mayor, also deliver solid performances that add depth to the otherwise one-dimensional villains.

The film’s soundtrack is another area where it falls short. The score is generic and forgettable, failing to elevate the tension or emotion of key scenes. The lack of a distinctive musical identity further underscores the film’s inability to stand out in a crowded genre.

In the end, Out of Death is a film that never fully commits to what it wants to be. It’s too rushed to develop its characters or themes, too reliant on clichés to stand out, and too uneven in execution to be truly engaging. It’s a missed opportunity—a film that had the potential to explore complex themes of corruption and survival but ultimately settles for a formulaic thriller that fails to leave a lasting impression.

For fans of Bruce Willis’s earlier work, Out of Death is likely to be a disappointment. The film serves as a stark reminder of his declining health and the challenges he faced in his final acting roles. For action thriller enthusiasts, it offers little in the way of innovation or excitement. And for those looking for a thoughtful exploration of police corruption or personal redemption, it falls far short.

Out of Death is a film that will likely be forgotten by most viewers soon after they watch it. It’s competently made but utterly forgettable, a product of its rushed production and lackluster execution.