Hank Boyd is Dead – Movie Review

by | Jul 15, 2016 | Movie Reviews, Reviews | 0 comments

67124_1717916081758930_8574420117666087462_nHank Boyd is Dead
Written and directed by Sean Melia
Starring: Stefanie Frame, David C. Wells, Liv Rooth
Bag of Cats Productions
October, 2015
Review by Jess Landry

After a failed move to LA to become an actress, Sarah Walsh has come back home and now works for a catering company. What starts as a normal shift at the home of a grieving family after the funeral of their brother quickly turns into the worst day of Sarah’s life. You see, the deceased (one Henry (Hank) Boyd) was thought to have been a serial killer, and because of this, the whole town shuns the Boyd family. But when Sarah overhears Hank’s cop brother, David, talking to another officer about the murders, she quickly pieces together that maybe Hank wasn’t to blame. Before she knows it, Sarah finds herself stuck in the house with the remaining members of the Boyd family, and they might not all be as innocent as they appear.

Though it’s pegged as a dark comedy, Hank Boyd is Dead is the furthest thing away from what I would consider comedic – the plot works as a horror/thriller, but it ain’t funny. The film starts with a mockumentary-style interview (pieces of which are spliced throughout the film) but then segues into a regular feature – this style is off-putting, as it was difficult to tell at first if it was supposed to continue on as a mockumentary or not. Also off-putting was the random, aged footage that’s oddly spliced multiple times in each scene. The footage is reflective of the current subject the characters are discussing, but as a whole it feels out of place, like it was added just as filler.

The two female leads, Sarah (played by Stefanie Frame) and Hank’s sister, Aubrey (played by Liv Rooth) are what keep the film together. These two tough chicks battle it out till the bitter end, and both characters are entertaining in their own rights.

Though it has its stylistic flaws, the overall film itself is not half-bad. If you do stumble upon Hank Boyd is Dead, don’t go into it thinking it’s a comedy – just enjoy it for the thriller it is.

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