Don't Tell a Soul

Director - Alex McAulay (The Sparkle Room)

Starring - Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk, The Queers), Jack Dylan Grazer (It, Shazam!), and Rainn Wilson (The Office, House of 1000 Corpses)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Thriller/Crime

Tagline - "Some secrets should stay buried"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5): 

      It seems as if new horror releases are getting fewer and far in between with major production companies funneling their resources into other projects.  Sure, companies like Arrow and Vinegar Syndrome are thriving because they are remastering and releasing films that are long out of print in some cases.  However, if you are looking for something new to watch your picking is pretty slim.  A few weeks ago I received the press release for the psychological thriller Don't Tell a Soul starring It and Shazam's Jack Dylan Grazer and Rainn Wilson.  Wilson is a very underrated actor and I couldn't wait seeing him in this one.  I requested a review copy and it showed up a few days ago.  I couldn't wait to dig into it.  

     The film follows two brothers, the controlling older brother Matt (Whitehead) and the timid Joey (Grazer), who rob the home of an elderly lady where they get around $12,000 cash.  However, on their way home they cross paths with a security guard (Wilson) who gives chase.  They flee through the woods with him after them but the security guard falls into an old well.  Matt forces Joey to leave him so they don't go to jail but Joey doesn't feel right about the ordeal.  He sneaks him supplies but refuses to let him out but guilt lays heavy over Joey.  Eventually he does but not after learning who the security guard really is.

     Don't Tell a Soul is a movie that could go a couple different ways but the way McAulay went about it kept the viewer on their toes.  I really enjoyed the movie and Wilson did not disappoint.  It's not as fun as his performance in Super and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse but he shows he really can tackle any genre.  That brings me to the acting.  This film is perfectly cast.  I already mentioned Wilson who not only kills it as the injured God-fearing security guard but his character changes gears when it's revealed who he really is and that's when he really shined.  Whitehead is absolutely brilliant as the bullying big brother that will do anything for himself while neglecting his ailing mother and abusing his smaller brother.  He is a character that you are meant to hate and Whitehead makes you really fucking hate him  Grazer is fantastic as the reluctant and timid teenager that does as his brother says and loves his mother endlessly.  He is genuine in his role and absolutely nails it.  The supporting cast is perfect as well.  The characters are not as memorable as these three characters.  The story for this one is more of a dramatic thriller centered around troubled teenagers more than it is a psychological thriller like it's billed as.  With that being said, the story is a lot of fun and it's not predictable which only adds to it.  I loved the character twist and how the film ended.  It was twists you could not see coming and the cast pulled them off perfectly.  Finally, the film has a few quick deaths but they are not that memorable or impressive.  The deaths are all by gun and they look great but these types of deaths are quick and not as satisfying.  Overall, Don't Tell a Soul is not the most thrilling of thrillers but it's sure enthralling.  It pulled me in and I couldn't look away.  It may not the new horror flick we are looking for but it does fill the void.  Check it out.