Raw is Murder: No One Lives

No One squeamish should watch this.  Today's film is No One Lives, a recent Theatrical/DTV Release from WWE Films.  It's both, since they did the 'let's release it in 5 Theaters, just so we can say we did' thing that's all the rage.  That allows you to release 'Unrated' Cuts that 'You Didn't See in Theaters.'  Check the Box Office Revenue for Films released this way and you realize that MOST people didn't see them in Theaters.  Not to sound so negative about the film from the get-go, but that trend is just silly.  Why should you care about this film?  Well, like most of the recent WWE Films, it features a good Director who hasn't gotten to do much in the public eye.  Dead Man Down (good film) is by Neils Arden Oplev, the man behind the Swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  The Call, surprisingly enough, was Directed by Brad Anderson, the man who made Session 9 and The Machinist.  This film is no execption, as it was by Ryuhei Kitamura, the man who made Versus and Sky High.  I'm skipping over their other release- The Marine: Homefront (which was alright)- since it's Director made The Condemned, which is only so-so IMHO.  This film features the mysterious Driver, a group of petty criminals and lots of blood.  I mean, LOTS of blood.  I wouldn't dare SPOIL the major twists and turns of this story, so I'll be a bit vague here.  To find out a bit about this recent, bloody release, read on...

The mysterious lady runs for her life in possibly mid-day, dusk or early morning.  Not to nit-pick, but can you tell what time of day this is?

Our protagonist (Luke Evans) plays the never-named Driver.  He's on a trip with his girlfriend, who's conflicted about something.  What is it?  I won't tell.

They run afoul of some thugs who are convinced that they have some money.  Let's just say that it doesn't go well for one of them.  Oh and Brodus Clay meets a rough end.

It's awkward to see him here, as he was a vicious Heel when this was filmed, but has since become a laughing and dancing Face.  Hmm...

This guy is the 'Crazy' member of the group and the first to uncover the secret of the Driver.  What it is will not be SPOILED here.  However, just to warn you, the DVD/Blu-Ray sleeve is not nearly so nice about it.

Hey look- it's that girl from Silent Hill: Revelation.  Her Acting Range is still mostly 'Silently-Brood' and 'Mope Sadly.'  Joy.

Who is this being held above a vicious machine?  Who's the man behind it?  Those are two questions that you'll have to find out for yourself.

This movie is REALLY bloody.  Like 'getting chopped into 1,000 pieces' bloody.  Like 'having a man hide inside of a giant's body' bloody.  Like 'Holy crap- I'm out of blood!' bloody.

Will our heroine survive?  Will the Crazy Guy get what's coming to him?  Will the body count stay in the double-digits?  To find out, watch the movie.  The End.

This movie is bloody good.  It's also very, very bloody.  You may think that I'm harping on that, but it's totally-appropriate.  The film is bloody that they even have blood in a scene where someone is choked to death.  Seriously, this lady (see below) has her eyes turn red as she is about to die from being choked out!  As for the actual story, I liked it.  Without saying too much, it has some nice twists and turns to it.  It's mostly straight-forward, but they do throw in some 'arty' touches that I could give or take.  I get why they are there, but they are not necessarily required for the film to work.  A good portion of the film is done with Practical Effects, which is something I definitely approve of.  If you like films about this kind of stuff, it comes with a strong recommendation.  If you aren't a fan of blood and gore, you won't really like this one.  If you still need some incentives, here's a combination of both boobs AND murder...

To celebrate Labor Day, I'm going to watch something that I have no reason to watch.  Screw it- I'm watching Bates Motel!  Stay tuned...