The dead of winter, you say? Well, welcome to it. Death Trip - full of snowy thrills and chills - is EXACTLY what the doctor ordered to survive what has to be one of the most bizarre spells of winter weather in a decade.
Full of shadows and droning echoes, Death Trip cuts to chase with an icy blast of reality as blood streaks the floor. Off-camera, a woman sobs. The confusing images keep mounting, ratcheting up the tension. Suddenly, we are being chased down alleys and facing all sorts of fears as a nightmare reveals itself for Kelly (Kelly Kay, who also co-wrote the movie) before she and her friends head out for a cottage trip deep in the woods . . . with a killer armed with a croquet mallet!
And playing games is the furthest thing from his mind.
It seems appropriate - alright, more than appropriate - that Death Trip, a chilling winter-themed Canadian horror film would land in the midst of a record-breaking winter storm that is leaving millions snow-trapped and without power. Thankfully, Death Trip is worth the journey into the cold as four friends dive straight into the cold, lifeless heart of winter and discover murder and mayhem awaits them all.
Death Trip is a horror film which gets its tone right. This flick bleeds realism. This is established early on as we quickly get the idea that these four friends - Tatyana Olal, Melina Trimarchi, Garrett Johnson, and the aforementioned Kelly Kay - act EXACTLY like they should: as friends. Looking behind the scenes, it seems that this group - which includes first-time director James Watts - just want to make the most unexpected and startling horror film possible and their chemistry is spot-on. 
And the team assembled here pulls off a solid horror film, showing a fine knack for scene construction as these young adults banter back and forth while spying on the nude neighbor next door, playing drinking games, boinking, and - as the movie’s pieces are placed in front of us - the film starts deconstructing our expectations thanks to scenes that feel improvised as a killer lurks and lurks and lurks and suddenly STRIKES!
After one of the friends is found mutilated, the group worries they're being targeted by angry locals. The truth is much more absurd and disturbing as this slow burn of a horror film finally comes into focus and scares the shit out of its audience with some solid scenes of atmospheric terror.
Co-starring Zoe Slobodzian, Bruce Watts, and Brad MacDonald, Death Trip will be available February 16 On Digital from Gravitas Ventures and Kamikaze Dogfight.
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Available on Blu-ray
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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 101 mins
Director: James Watts
Writer: Kelly Kay, James Watts
Cast: Kelly Kay, Tatyana Olal, Garrett Johnson
Genre: Horror
Tagline: A Film by Kelly Kay and James Watts.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Official Site: http://www.goodhousedigital.net/
Release Date: February 16, 2021
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Four friends take a cottage trip in the dead of winter. During their stay, they discover dark details about the neighboring cottagers. After one of the friends is found mutilated, the group worries they're being targeted by angry locals.
