Dig Me No Grave

I wish I could have seen this one in cinemas, since I feel like only such a large screen would do this movie justice. Amazing performances all around, especially by James Bryhan who performs almost silently throughout the movie, conveying his emotions through his actions and expressions . There were stunning camerawork both immersive and creative.

I wasn't going to expect much with the CGI being a low budget movie but was pleasantly pleased to see that the bear was passable and I have to give props to the team for doing what they could.

The accents of some of the actors is almost utterly unforgivable, with one of them trying to impersonate Forest Gump and the wife (Linda) with broken English , But I'm willing to forgive that for all the things listed above.

The best things about this movie are the beautiful scenery and cinematography and the top-notch acting from both Hicks and Bryhan. But what is it all for? Everyone knows the plot: Somebody killed my (insert loved one) so I'm going to kill him. Have we not seen this a thousand times? Is it really different when shot in the wilderness? I almost turned of the movie after the bear mauling scene. What troubled me about it is that a supposedly experienced hunter would be unaware that you have to flee if you see a bear knowing she has bear cubs, and if the bear attacks, you're supposed to lie still. Also from what I know an experienced hunter would be able to tell that a bear was in the vicinity and would leave.

The movie improved in the last half because the action heated up and there was more dialogue. James Bryhan and Warren Hicks deserves an award for their acting skills. There was some minor drama involving a third character, who reminded me a lot of Forest Gump! ( Run Forest Run).

Still a good movie to sit on your couch with a beer.

Basically my issues with the film center on two points: A) The story adheres to realism where it suits it and leaves realism begging at the door when it needs the hero to live another day. And B) warren Hicks (Scott Parker) is in over his head with this character and this movie. Part of the problem is how the character is written. There's very little real about him. And that has to be laid at the feet of the writers.

James Bryhan (Pat Gunther) deserves the awards he's getting for his performance. His character doesn't talk as much as the protagonist (Parker), whose temperament is as cold as the ice around him when he taunts him about his sexuality. I felt more empathy towards (Gunther) plight and grieve stricken response to what befalls him , rooting for him to win the day , more so than (Parker) who despite losing his legs, acted as if he'd been subjected to watching paint dry.

The story overall was good and worth a watch.

Warren Lee Hicks stars as Scott Parker, a hunter in who spends his day shooting animals amongst the forest.

The filmmaker does well to set up the rural location, becoming a key part of the narrative.

Our protagonist returns again to the woods but is surprised when he is confronted by a bear. There's a decent bit of CGI for this attack, and although it's no The Revenant, it's done very well considering the limitations and as good as anything on TV.

The outcome of the fight leaves the bear dead and the man finds himself in a cabin in the woods.

Scared and out of his mind, it is revealed he has been captured by Pat Gunther (a very psychotic turn from James Bryhan) .

Dig Me No Grave does very well at positioning all its characters and despite some clunky dialogue, is extremely polished as it clearly sets up the story and everyone's motivations and goals.

James Bryhan as the cold and calculated antagonist is a particular highlight. His ghoulish kidnapper echoes the extreme actions of Annie Wilkes from 1990's Misery, who similarly torments an incapacitated man. However, he's given more of a history that makes even this repugnant character have a few reasons for what he's done.

But he, along with a solid cast, combine with the film's impressive technical aspects, a slick 90-minute runtime and a host of well-planned dramatic and action sequences, to make Dig Me No Grave a barnstorming and nail-biting local thriller exploring distrust and atonement.

Dig Me No Grave is a bold, psychologically dark excursion into survival, revenge, and human cruelty. It transcends typical nature-thriller fare by anchoring its horror in emotional and psychological realism. Warren Lee Hicks brings authenticity and heart, while James Jaysen Bryhan delivers a mesmerizing performance as a complex antagonist. Together, their interplay is the film's beating heart-relentless, tragic, and unforgettable.

Warren delivers a nuanced portrayal of a proud, capable man forced into helplessness. His emotional range-from the gritted-teeth physicality of the bear scene to the quiet despair in Pat's cabin-is outstanding. He doesn't oversell the drama; instead, he draws you into his desperation with honesty and restraint.

Bryhan is terrifyingly good. Cold, methodical, and layered, Pat could easily have become a caricature of madness. Instead, Bryhan infuses him with tragic complexity-a man so shattered by grief that cruelty becomes his logic. His every movement feels calculated, his every word dipped in unresolved pain.

If you're drawn to survival dramas that evolve into chilling psychological thrillers-and love intense, character-driven duels-this one's worth a watch.

The film deftly pivots from nature thriller to psychological horror, maintaining suspense and escalating tension through tightly constructed acts. Flashbacks gradually unveil the history between these men, deepening the narrative as it approaches its dark, bloody climax.