Everyone Must Die!

Discretely low-budget, pointedly over the top, wildly inauthentic - schlocky horror-comedy bluster is exactly what filmmaker Steve Rudzinski does. Not all his movies come off with equal success, though if 2016's 'CarousHell' and its 2021 sequel are any indication, he's perfecting his style over time. Released in 2012, while 'Everyone must die!' certainly carries the hallmarks of Rudzinski's films, it seems rough around the edges by comparison. I can absolutely understand how this would have limited appeal, but for those who can appreciate low-grade genre romps, it's suitably enjoyable and worth a mere 70 minutes.

Blunt, forthright, and consciously overcooked in every regard, this emphasizes at every turn that it doesn't take itself seriously. Dialogue, scene writing, characters, narrative, direction, editing, acting, cinematography, music, effects, and all else are considered only with a mind for utmost unreal ham-handedness. Comedy is borne from tongue-in-cheek mockery, and referential humor; plainly absurdist situational humor, and exaggerated characters and scene writing; puns, quips, one-liners, and intentionally inane dialogue; and sight gags and sex jokes, in abundance. Throw in blood and gore with tinges of genre elements, and purely gratuitous nudity; ensure that plot development is buried amidst long scenes that deviate from the story with distinct nonchalance, and voila! - 'Everyone must die!' With the latter aspect particularly in mind, suffice to say that mileage will vary greatly from one viewer to the next.

For my part, I do like this. It's ridiculous, but purposefully so, and not only do I admire the gumption to make movies in such a fashion, but I think this picture is entertaining on its own merits. I also must reiterate, however, that it's not as strong as some of Rudzinski's other titles, and I chalk this up to relative inexperience and still getting a grasp on the types of films he wanted to make. The narrative is simple, yet still feels less than whole; one can easily imagine a more complete, cohesive story that could be told with the same premise. Horror-comedy requires a dexterous hand; in this case I don't think the two facets are balanced, and taken together with the deep inauthenticity and low-budget nature, both somewhat fall flat. This is especially true as there's more time spent on humor than carnage, yet jokes struggle to land in the first place. I say that on a general level, but also in specific instances: more so than in some other comedies I've watched, dialogue and characters sometimes ride a fine line as the screenplay makes a few very unlikable, and also racist or homophobic. We're supposed to laugh in mockery of such dimwitted bigotry, or cheer when these characters eat the dust, but the inclusions are nonetheless so indelicate and heavy-handed that they border on offensive and suck some of the fun from the experience. And as if all this weren't enough, 'Everyone must die!' has definite problems with pacing - in the length of the film, in plot development from A to B to C, in transitions between scenes, in the progression of many scenes as they present, and even in the delivery of lines.

For everything that this wants to be, and in some measure is, the broad flaws and shortcomings and the nature of the construction unmistakably serve as limits on the best potential, and on audience engagement. Mind you, I don't specifically cast blame on Rudzinski or anyone else involved. I can see the passion, hard work, and spirit of good fun that everyone put into this; just as much to the point, no one lambastes major time-honored filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick, John Carpenter, or David Cronenberg for the faults in their earliest films (see 'Fear and desire,' 'Dark star,' or 'Stereo'), nor should they. It's just that when one takes a swing, the result might be either a hit or a miss, and while 'Everyone must die!' isn't a strike, it's surely no homerun. Still - though decidedly imperfect, I had a good time watching. The idea is swell, I genuinely love Carson Mauthe's original music, and the cast gleefully embrace the tomfoolery; of anyone, I'm actually quite impressed with what Nicole Beattie brings to her role. I see in my mind's eye what the movie could be if, say, Rudzinski had another go at it in 2022. I'm not sure who I would necessarily recommend it to, since it clearly plays to so very niche a viewership, but if you like your horror-comedy extra campy and nonsensical, 'Everyone must die!' just might be up your alley.

Wewll low budget doesn't come close, this must have been made for under $10. It has the look and feel of a poor home made student movie.

The acting is terrible, the lighting is bad, and the filming isn't any better. Best part of the whole movie is the end credits song.

If you are big on watching big breasted women in a slasher flick, it's for you. It's got nudity and so much blood and gore, That's it.

Don't expect it to be more than that. I don't think even the performers themselves have tried to "act". Fight scenes, logic behind situations and dialogue delivery are so lame that you almost feel a cringe for watching this movie.

As a fan of bad movies (I have a set of drinking rules to enjoy them with) I went into this with low expectations. I very much enjoyed this one. The plot, though a little contrived at times, flowed along nicely. there were a few, "well that doesn't make sense," moments, but on the whole it was easily followable.

The plot follows a very hot open, a guys sister gets murdered and his friend kills the killer. Should be the end, but apparently not. Turns out there is more than meets the eye, and maybe there is a pattern being overlooked.

I'm not gonna spoil a film in my review, but there are some really smart jokes, some not smart jokes, and enough nudity to carry it. perfect 'B' movie stuff, while being filmed by HD cameras, and with someone that actually knew how to use a boom mic.... mostly.

Great fun, would definitely recommend.

This is not a film I'd tell anyone to enjoy. It was definitely made on the cheap (the commentary track said $3500) by an obviously small group of people. More people than I think usually work on low budget stuff, based on all the stuff I've seen, but a small group nonetheless.

Getting the negatives out of the way first, there's some pacing issues in a couple of parts. There's a few jokes that swing and miss. If you're looking for sick gore, this film (while being extremely bloody) doesn't get into too much of the gory chunky bits. Not all of the shots look great and professional. And some may not enjoy how simple the plot can be at times.

Although to me, that last part is great.

This film does an interesting take on the slasher genres for several reasons. One that I liked more than the others was the fact that, albeit one or two exposition scenes that describe the CONCEPT of the killer, we don't get to actually "meet" the killer. We don't know his motivations or why he's doing this. While some would be let down by this, wanting more explanation, I appreciate this angle. Because characters in the movie outright state the obvious point of it, "Who cares? He's outside with a machete!" The motivation and purpose doesn't matter, we really only know as much as the main characters (which isn't much). The script is about them, not the killer.

Which is the other thing I loved about this film. The script is sensational. These guys did a GREAT job writing what I think is a pretty interesting plot filled with really funny characters while turning slasher tropes upside down throughout (in ways I don't want to spoil). There's a lot of characters in this movie but I never felt over whelmed. Not only that but the movie never seemed like it was preaching to me about what characters to hate and which to love. All of the characters, as weird as some were, were all given a great amount of screen time and I was allowed to root for who I wanted to live.

Aside from the two pacing issues (one exposition scene and the 'party' starting a bit too late for me) the movie is a fast, fun roller-coaster of bloodshed. There are plenty of laughs, well written dialog, and plenty of blood. Whenever you feel too much time is passing, they throw in an extra kill out of nowhere. Which was confusing to me only at first until I realized the killer was literally wiping out everyone around the group of kids before getting to them.

This film is not horrific. It's fun and funny. While it does have a few serious dramatic moments, I feel these are heightened by the comedy. There's a real story underneath all the wackiness of a guy who loves eggs (a lot), a serial politician, and strange fetishes; dramatic moments in the midst of this shows why we care. I think a dramatic scene in the middle of comedy holds more ground than a "more dramatic" scene in a "drama." When everything is sad, how does one tell which moment is supposed to be the sad one? Here, you know when you're supposed to stop laughing and care (although the amount it affects people will vary, I know some people will be annoyed by leaving comedy completely even for a few moments).

Everyone Must Die! is a surprise treat I wasn't expecting. If you like low-budget indie stuff, I think this is a good example of what a tiny amount of money can accomplish with the right people working hard on it. I'd give this flick an 8/10, I had a great time with it.