They Call Her Death

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A widowed rancher seeks vengeance for the murder of her husband in They Call Her Death. Retired outlaws Molly (Sheri Rippel) and Thomas (Patrick Poe) Pray share a quiet life on their ranch, until Thomas is shot in cold blood by the bounty hunter Diego (Devan R. Garcia). When she questions Sheriff Frank Jaroo (Jeff Boyer), Molly finds out that there was a bounty out on Thomas for the murder and robbery of a local lawyer. When she too becomes the target of death, Molly decides to take the law into her own hands and become an agent of Death itself.

They Call Her Death Synopsis

They Call Her Death is the sophomore feature film from writer/director Austin Snell. Shot on 16mm Kodak film, the film is a throwback to spaghetti westerns infused with the ultra-violence of Italian horror films. The film’s protagonist Molly Pray is left traumatized and blood-splattered when her husband Thomas is gunned down in front of her.

Molly goes into town hoping to get answers, only to realize that Thomas was the fall guy for a corrupt conspiracy. This results in Molly herself being targeted and left for death. With nothing left to lose and the Grim Reaper by her side, Molly takes her husband’s guns and sets out to kill everyone responsible for his death.

My Thoughts on They Call Her Death

They Call Her Death is produced in a way that makes it appear like the film was a Spaghetti Western straight out of the mid-1966s, right down to its throwback opening titles with the psychedelic theme song “Tonight We Fly” by Night Powers. They Call Her Death is also reminiscent of Ti West’s In a Valley of Violence, through its use of incredibly gory violence. In terms of its production, I have to give They Call Her Death high praise.

However, They Call Her Death does falter somewhat when it comes to the execution of the story. It becomes obvious that the majority of the cast are not necessarily seasoned actors and their line-readings results in the film coming off as incredibly cheesy at times. In fact, the plot of They Call Her Death seems like merely just a way to progress the story to its incredibly blood-soaked climax.

That all said, They Call Her Death does come across as a cult classic in the making. As both director and cinematographer, Austin Snell pays great attention to detail with his recreation of the Spaghetti Western aesthetic. While the presentation of They Call Her Death isn’t without its issues, it is enough to make Snell an indie filmmaker to keep an eye on.

Trailer for They Call Her Death