DVD Review: Low Budget Thriller DEAD MAN’S LUCK

Dead Man’s Luck came out of left field and surprised the hell out of me, it really did. I was expecting a terribly acted, woefully shot, one note modern Film Noir. However, it hooked me, dragged me in and genuinely entertained me for nigh on ninety minutes.

It follows a man (Paul Burke) who gets lost on the road; he stops at a farm house to ask for directions, a move which is a big mistake. He’s framed for murder and kidnapping and his life begins to unravel as he tries to dig himself out of trouble. When he tells his wife (Anastasia Bondarenko), she sees dollar signs and before you can say Lady Macbeth, she’s calling the shots and soon he’s in even deeper.

Max Perrier’s film (which is also known as The Ante) is a diamond in the rough. It may not be the best looking film, but he’s really brought together the elements for a decent thriller. Okay, there’s the occasional dodgy performance and the tone sometimes shifts awkwardly between drama and black comedy, but it’s a well constructed suspense film, building up tension scene after scene. Dead Man’s Luck is yet another film which illustrates that story is the main building block for a good film. It’s definitely worth a watch, but don’t go in expecting high production values.

Special Features

Dead Man’s Luck comes with some trailers, a truly bizarre ‘making of’ and some of director Max Perrier’s short films. A good package for such a low budget effort.