EVERY TIME I DIE: the dead return as the living

EVERY TIME I DIE

What if murder victims didn’t return to haunt the living, but instead, INHABITED the living? That’s the premise of the supernatural thriller Every Time I Die.

Sam (Drew Fronteiro) is an EMT, emotionally damaged by a childhood tragedy. Sam is invited to tag along with two couples on a getaway weekend at a lakeside vacation home. Things get weird as we see that Sam is much more messed up than originally apparent. It also turns out that two of the five have a secret relationship. And…there’s a murder! And then things get even weirder.

Every Time I Die is the first narrative feature for director and co-writer Robi Michael and co-writer Gal Katzir. To their credit, Michael and Katzir refuse to spoon feed the audience, making us connect the dots.  Don’t expect to understand everything that’s going on through the first third of the film.  This is not a movie for those who need a linear, paint-by-the-numbers plot.  To add to the early murkiness, the two female leads are played by twin sisters; once we figure that out, we can try to keep them straight.

At the point where we figure out what happens when a character dies, Every Time I Die has us wondering who will be the next to die and who will be the next to be inhabited by the dead.  And, just when we think the movie is over, there’s an unexpected resolution.

Every Time I Die is essentially an ensemble piece, and the cast members – Fronteiro, Marc Menchaca (Ozark), Michelle Macedo, Melissa Macedo and Tyler Dash White – all of whom work often in television, are very good.

Cinequest will host the world premiere of Every Time I Die.