Die, Sister, Die! contrary to popular belief, is not a nun-slasher film. Rather, it is about a family who has an inheritance that is in dispute. A trio of middle-aged siblings are in line for Dad's big bucks. Amanda is the only one still living in the palatial estate - as the movie begins she has just attempted suicide for the second time in the last few months. Her brother Edwin, feigning concern, agrees to hire a nurse to watch over her. He finds a local waitress named Esther who used to be a nurse but was discredited in an Anna Nicole Smith-type situation (she married an extremely elderly man, got all of his money in his will when he died, but then the family disputed it and she got NOTHING). Edwin figures she's the right person to watch over Amanda. And by "watch over" I mean accept $25,000 to kill her, or at least spy on her and sit idly by while she dies. Also in the picture (in spirit, at least) is younger sister Nell, who Daddy always liked best. She supposedly left town before Dad's funeral even happened, and ominously can't be reached...
What I liked
This movie has got a pretty solid mean streak. At the beginning of the film Amanda tries to kill herself by cutting slitting her wrists cross-wise rather than vertically. To which the family doctor quips "sometimes even suicide takes a little know-how." Also heard: "Most of life is a waste I've found," "What is so great about the outside world?" and "life is the one disease that is always fatal." I think I'm going to make that my e-mail auto signature. Even though Die, Sister, Die! is about a family who wants to murder each other, it's still pretty nihilistic.
What I didn't like
There really isn't anyone to like - the cast is small, but here's what you get:
Edwin (the brother) - a real dick
Amanda (the sister) - depressed and mean
Esther (the nurse) - our "hero" Boring. Best trait is she decides not to kill Amanda. Boringly.
The Doctor - clueless
Ms. Gonzales (the maid) - one of the worst accents I've ever heard.
That's pretty much your cast right there. The awkward romance between Edwin and Esther is gross. Overall, it's just a slow mystery movie with no mystery to it. It just kind of plods along with no forward momentum... once you figure out what's going on, it just hits the points it has to to get to the inevitable conclusion. Although to it's credit, it was never boring enough to turn off - I finished it in one sitting. That's a low, low bar to clear, but an important one.
Fun Facts
Rumor has it that Clint Eastwood, who was a friend of Jack Ging (who played Edwin) came in to finish this up when director Randall Hood died unexpectedly during post.
Ultimately
I would not recommend this film.
What I liked
This movie has got a pretty solid mean streak. At the beginning of the film Amanda tries to kill herself by cutting slitting her wrists cross-wise rather than vertically. To which the family doctor quips "sometimes even suicide takes a little know-how." Also heard: "Most of life is a waste I've found," "What is so great about the outside world?" and "life is the one disease that is always fatal." I think I'm going to make that my e-mail auto signature. Even though Die, Sister, Die! is about a family who wants to murder each other, it's still pretty nihilistic.
And honestly, for a film that is supposed to be a mystery, there is startlingly little mystery to it. If *SPOILER* you think sister Nell is actually out of town by the end of the First Act, you may have never seen a movie before. But they go ahead and treat it like the big reveal from Psycho. Even though it's pretty misguided, it's almost admirable how they stick to their guns against all common sense.
Also, a dummy that gets thrown from the top of a building. In my own weird grading system, that's a letter-grade bump up automatically. If I ever figure out GIFs I'll put it here. Good title, too.
Also, a dummy that gets thrown from the top of a building. In my own weird grading system, that's a letter-grade bump up automatically. If I ever figure out GIFs I'll put it here. Good title, too.
What I didn't like
There really isn't anyone to like - the cast is small, but here's what you get:
Edwin (the brother) - a real dick
Amanda (the sister) - depressed and mean
Esther (the nurse) - our "hero" Boring. Best trait is she decides not to kill Amanda. Boringly.
The Doctor - clueless
Ms. Gonzales (the maid) - one of the worst accents I've ever heard.
That's pretty much your cast right there. The awkward romance between Edwin and Esther is gross. Overall, it's just a slow mystery movie with no mystery to it. It just kind of plods along with no forward momentum... once you figure out what's going on, it just hits the points it has to to get to the inevitable conclusion. Although to it's credit, it was never boring enough to turn off - I finished it in one sitting. That's a low, low bar to clear, but an important one.
Fun Facts
Rumor has it that Clint Eastwood, who was a friend of Jack Ging (who played Edwin) came in to finish this up when director Randall Hood died unexpectedly during post.
Ultimately
I would not recommend this film.
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