He Never Died

Last updated
He Never Died
He Never Died POSTER.jpg
Directed byJason Krawczyk
Written byJason Krawczyk
Produced by
  • Zach Hagen
  • Adrienne Stern
Starring
CinematographyEric Billman
Edited byJames Bredin
Music byJames Mark Stewart
Production
companies
108 Media
Alternate Ending Studios
Release dates
  • December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)(SXSW)
  • March 18, 2016 (2016-03-18)
Running time
99 minutes
CountriesUnited States
Canada
LanguageEnglish

He Never Died is a 2015 Canadian/American horror comedy film that was written and directed by Jason Krawczyk. It had its world premiere on March 17, 2015 at South by Southwest and stars Henry Rollins as Jack, an immortal, cannibalistic loner who has withdrawn from society to protect both himself and others. [1] [2] Plans were announced to create a direct sequel and miniseries expansion following the character Jack. [3] [4] The script for this was later rewritten to create the 2019 film She Never Died .

Contents

Filming for He Never Died began in November 2013 in Toronto and concluded in December of the same year. [2] [5] The film was released on various video on demand platforms as well as on DVD and became available worldwide on Netflix on March 18, 2016. [6]

Plot

Jack has developed a routine for his life that he follows in order to repress his urge to engage in vampiric cannibalism. He spends most of his time sleeping in his apartment and avoids human contact other than regular trips to a local diner, mass at a nearby church, bingo games, and to the hospital, where he purchases donated blood from a hospital intern, Jeremy. Upon returning home from one trip, Jack is confronted by mobsters Steve and Short, who are looking for Jeremy.

Jack's routine is further interrupted by a phone call from his ex-girlfriend, Gillian, asking him to find their adult daughter, Andrea, who tried to contact him earlier that day. Unhappy, Jack agrees to locate Andrea, but stresses that he wants no further contact with Gillian. He finds Andrea and takes her with him to the diner he frequents, where she meets Cara, a waitress with a crush on Jack. While Jack slowly bonds with Andrea he sees visions of an old man with a goatee, wearing a porkpie hat, and also manages to foil Steve and Short's attempt to kidnap Jeremy. Jack is surprised when he discovers that Andrea can also see the man, as previously only Jack could see him.

Out for vengeance, Short and Steve try to murder Jack, only for Jack to kill Short by tearing out his throat with his bare hands, which he then eats, giving in to his craving for human flesh. Afraid that he'll do the same to Andrea, Jack forces her to leave the apartment. Shortly afterwards Jack kills and eats an obnoxious neighbor. Later, he walks around the city trying to pick fights with various strangers, all of whom refuse to reciprocate his aggression. Eventually, he comes across three young men spoiling for a fight, culminating in him killing one or more of them. Jack ultimately receives a phone call from the mobsters, who inform him that they have killed Gillian and kidnapped Andrea and will kill her if he does not surrender. Jack tries to confront Alex, a local crime boss, and the man he believes is responsible, only for Alex to deny that he had anything to do with the kidnapping.

Upset, Jack goes to the diner, where he bribes Cara into helping him save Andrea by offering her a million dollars. She discovers that Jack is actually the Biblical figure Cay'in (Cain). Jack ultimately discovers the reason why the mobsters were after Jeremy: he had borrowed a large sum of money to pay off his student loans, without repaying it. He also learns of Andrea's whereabouts and goes to rescue her. Alex reveals that he kidnapped Andrea as revenge for Jack killing Alex's father, a mobster Jack once worked for. Just as Jack is about to murder Alex, the man with the goatee arrives, prompting Jack to angrily confront him over his many previous murders. Jack demands to know why the man won't let him die. Jack ends up choosing to spare Alex in favor of helping Andrea seek medical attention. Before leaving with Cara and Andrea, Jack promises Alex that one day he will see the goateed man. After they have left, the goateed man appears to the badly injured Alex, greeting him with a resonant otherworldly-sounding voice.

Cast

Sequels/remake

In October 2014 it was announced that 108 Media were shopping the rights for a miniseries version of He Never Died, which would further expand the film's story and history of the central character Jack. [4] Director Krawczyk was set to return as the director for the miniseries and Rollins would have returned to portray his character Jack. [4] A direct sequel was also intended to have been created, however plans for this fell through. [7] [8]

Krawczyk rewrote his script and Jack's character to be a female loner in a similar situation, setting the film within the same universe as He Never Died. In April 2019 the film She Never Died , which was directed by Audrey Cummings and starred Olunike Adeliyi. Krawczyk has described the film as a remake of He Never Died while critics have referred to it as a sister sequel, generally praising both the film and Adeliyi. [9] [10] [8] [7]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 88% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. [11] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [12]

Fangoria, Film School Rejects and Dread Central all wrote positive reviews for the film. [13] Fangoria's Michael Gingold praised Rollins' "deadpan humor" but said that the plot lacked surprises. [14] Film School Rejects wrote that the movie is "laugh out loud funny thanks almost exclusively to Rollins’ delivery and reaction shots, but the acts of violence and character details are just as entertaining." [15]

Soundtrack

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Pearce</span> Australian actor (born 1967)

Guy Edward Pearce is an Australian actor. He started his career portraying Mike Young in the Australian television series Neighbours. Pearce received international attention for his breakout role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and subsequently took starring roles in Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential (1997), Christopher Nolan's Memento (2000) and Simon Wells's The Time Machine (2002). He is also known for his performances in the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road (2009), Kathryn Bigelow's war drama The Hurt Locker (2009) and Tom Hooper's historical drama The King's Speech (2010). He has appeared in TED 2023, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (2017) as Peter Weyland, the Marvel action film Iron Man 3 (2013) as Aldrich Killian, and the historical biopic Mary Queen of Scots (2018) as William Cecil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Garland</span> British writer and director (born 1970)

Alexander Medawar Garland is an English novelist, screenwriter and director. He rose to prominence with his novel The Beach (1996). He subsequently received praise for writing the Danny Boyle films 28 Days Later (2002) and Sunshine (2007), as well as Never Let Me Go (2010) and Dredd (2012). In video games, he co-wrote Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (2010) and served as a story supervisor on DmC: Devil May Cry (2013).

<i>Alex Haleys Queen</i> American TV series or program

Alex Haley's Queen is a 1993 American television miniseries that aired in three installments on February 14, 16, and 18 on CBS. The miniseries is an adaptation of the 1993 novel Queen: The Story of an American Family, by Alex Haley and David Stevens. The novel is based on the life of Queen Jackson Haley, Haley's paternal grandmother. Alex Haley died in February 1992 before completing the novel. It was later finished by David Stevens and published in 1993. Stevens also wrote the screenplay for the miniseries.

<i>Tanner on Tanner</i> 2004 American TV miniseries by Robert Altman

Tanner on Tanner is a 2004 4-part comedy miniseries. It is the sequel to the 1988 Robert Altman-directed and Garry Trudeau-written miniseries about a failed presidential candidate, Tanner '88. The sequel focuses mostly on Alex Tanner, a struggling filmmaker and the daughter of onetime presidential candidate Jack Tanner.

<i>Blood and Wine</i> 1996 American film

Blood and Wine is a 1996 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Bob Rafelson and starring Jack Nicholson, Stephen Dorff, Jennifer Lopez, Judy Davis, and Michael Caine. The screenplay was written by Nick Villiers and Alison Cross. Rafelson has stated that the film forms the final part of his unofficial trilogy with Nicholson, with whom he made Five Easy Pieces and The King of Marvin Gardens in the 1970s.

<i>The Chase</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by Adam Rifkin

The Chase is a 1994 American action comedy film directed by Adam Rifkin and starring Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson. Set in California, the film follows a wrongfully convicted man who kidnaps a wealthy heiress and leads police on a lengthy car chase in an attempt to escape prison, while the news media dramatize the chase to absurd extents. It features Henry Rollins, Josh Mostel, and Ray Wise in supporting roles, with cameo appearances by Anthony Kiedis and Flea of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Smee</span> Fictional character from Peter Pan

Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Rollins (producer)</span> American film producer

Jack Koeppel Rollins was an American film and television producer and talent manager of comedians and television personalities. His first major success came in the 1950s when he managed actor and singer Harry Belafonte. Rollins co-wrote the song "Man Piaba" with Belafonte on his debut RCA Victor album Mark Twain and other Folk Favorites, released in 1954. In 1958, he helped create and promote the comedy duo Nichols and May. He went on to help shepherd the careers of several prominent comedians with his partner Charles H. Joffe, beginning in 1960 with Woody Allen and later with Dick Cavett, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, and Robin Williams.

<i>Wrong Turn 2: Dead End</i> 2007 slasher film by Joe Lynch

Wrong Turn 2: Dead End is a 2007 slasher film directed by Joe Lynch and starring Erica Leerhsen, Henry Rollins and Texas Battle. An international co-production between the United States and Canada. It is a sequel to Wrong Turn (2003) and the second installment in the Wrong Turn film series. The film received a positive response from critics and remains the best-reviewed film in the franchise. It grossed $9.2 million in home video sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Brake</span> American actor (born 1964)

Richard Colin Brake is a Welsh actor known for his supporting roles as Joe Chill in Batman Begins (2005), Doom-Head in 31 (2016), and the chemist in Mandy (2018), as well as his lead role as Bob Reid in Perfect Skin (2018). He also had supporting roles on television as the Night King on the fourth and fifth seasons of Game of Thrones, as Conrad Harlow on the first season of Absentia, and as Anton Kaledin in the third series of Peaky Blinders.

<i>Trick r Treat</i> 2007 American film by Michael Dougherty

Trick 'r Treat is a 2007 American anthology horror film written and directed by Michael Dougherty and produced by Bryan Singer. The film stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. It relates four Halloween horror stories with a common element in them: Sam, a trick-or-treating demon wearing orange footie pajamas with a burlap sack over his head. The character makes an appearance in each of the stories whenever one of the other characters breaks a Halloween tradition.

<i>S. Darko</i> 2009 film by Chris Fisher

S. Darko, also known as S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale or S Dot Darko is a 2009 American science fiction thriller film directed by Chris Fisher and starring Daveigh Chase, Briana Evigan, and Ed Westwick. It is the sequel to the 2001 cult film Donnie Darko.

<i>Olive Kitteridge</i> 2008 novel by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge is a 2008 novel or short story cycle by American author Elizabeth Strout. Set in Maine in the fictional coastal town of Crosby, it comprises 13 stories that are interrelated but narratively discontinuous and non-chronological. Olive Kitteridge is a main character in some stories and has a lesser or cameo role in others. Six of the stories had been published in periodicals between 1992 and 2007.

<i>The Wicker Tree</i> 2011 film

The Wicker Tree is a 2011 British horror film written and directed by Robin Hardy. It contains many direct parallels and allusions to Hardy's 1973 film The Wicker Man, and is intended as a companion piece which explores the same themes.

<i>The Pillars of the Earth</i> (miniseries) 2010 television miniseries directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan

The Pillars of the Earth is an eight-part 2010 television miniseries, adapted from Ken Follett's 1989 novel of the same name. It debuted in the U.S. on Starz and in Canada on The Movie Network/Movie Central on 23 July 2010. Its UK premiere was on Channel 4 in October 2010. The series was nominated for three awards at the 68th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Miniseries or Television Film, while Ian McShane and Hayley Atwell received acting nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles Teller</span> American actor (born 1987)

Miles Teller is an American actor. He made his feature film debut with the independent drama Rabbit Hole (2010), and gained wider recognition for his roles in the coming-of-age film The Spectacular Now (2013) and the Divergent film trilogy (2014–2016). His breakthrough role came in the drama Whiplash (2014) which earned him critical acclaim.

<i>Batman vs. Robin</i> 2015 animated superhero film directed by Jay Oliva

Batman vs. Robin is a 2015 American animated superhero film which is the 23rd film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies and the fifth film in the DC Animated Movie Universe. The film is partially based on the "Batman: The Court of Owls" saga written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion, combined with aspects of Batman & Robin: Born to Kill by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason and Detective Comics: Faces of Death arcs by Tony S. Daniel, and serves as a sequel to 2014's Son of Batman. The film was shown during WonderCon on April 3, 2015, and was released on Blu-ray and DVD formats on April 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedelia Du Maurier</span> Fictional character

Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier is a fictional character in the TV series Hannibal. Unlike most characters in the stories, Du Maurier is an original creation, and does not appear in Thomas Harris' novels. She is portrayed by Gillian Anderson.

<i>Dont Breathe</i> 2016 American horror-thriller film by Fede Álvarez

Don't Breathe is a 2016 American horror-thriller film produced and directed by Fede Álvarez, co-produced by Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, and co-written by Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues. The film stars Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto and Stephen Lang, and focuses on three friends who get trapped inside a blind man's house while breaking into it. The film was produced by Ghost House Pictures and Good Universe and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing.

<i>She Never Died</i> 2019 Canadian film

She Never Died is a 2019 Canadian horror comedy film directed by Audrey Cummings and written by Jason Krawczyk. The movie is intended as a follow-up sister-sequel to Krawczyk's 2015 movie He Never Died, which starred Henry Rollins, and is set within the same universe. Krawczyk had initially intended the 2015 film to be expanded into a miniseries and follow-up film, but repurposed the script into She Never Died after the endeavor was cancelled.

References

  1. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan. "SXSW First Look: Henry Rollins Is a Cannibal in 'He Never Died' (Exclusive Poster)". Indiewire. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 Ayers, Mike (12 December 2013). "Henry Rollins Wraps First Lead Film Role". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Woods, Kevin (22 October 2014). "Cannibal tale He Never Died, starring Henry Rollins, gets miniseries spinoff". JoBlo. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Punter, Jennie (20 October 2014). "Henry Rollins to Star in Comedy-Horror Miniseries 'He Never Died' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Martin, Peter. "HE NEVER DIED: Henry Rollins As Blood-Lusty Loner". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "He Never Died on uNoGS". unogs.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-04. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  7. 1 2 Hermanns, Grant (9 June 2020). "Exclusive: Henry Rollins Reflects on He Never Died & Repurposed Sequel". Coming Soon. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Chris Knight: She Never Died is a 'sister sequel' that stands up nicely on its own". National Post. Archived from the original on 2023-09-03. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  9. ↑ Donahue, Anne (5 December 2019). "She Never Died finds feminist power in body-ripping horror". The Globe & Mail. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Film Review: She Never Died – The remake we didn't realise we needed". Manchester Metropolitan University. 10 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "He Never Died". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 14, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  12. ↑ "He Never Died". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ Tinnin, Drew (18 March 2015). "He Never Died (2015)". Dread Central. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Gingold, Michael. ""HE NEVER DIED" (SXSW Movie Review)". Fangoria. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  15. ↑ Hunter, Rob. "SXSW 2015: He Never Died is a Bloody, Hilarious and Smart Slice of Supernatural Noir". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.