Who Dies Next?: A Meta Love Letter to Horror with Room for Growth β Short Film Review
What is this Nduka Ebube Dike's horror short film trying to say?
βGuys, weβre in a horror film,β declares Ichie Fuegoβs character, Onwuka, almost immediately after the movie beginsβas if the dead body in the opening shot wasnβt enough to clue us in.
It doesnβt take long to realize that Who Dies Next? is fully self-aware, which is one of its strongest and most memorable qualities. Onwukaβs meta-commentary and constant horror movie references, including namedropping icons like Sydney Prescott, add a layer of self-awareness to the film that sets it apart. At one point, another character even brings up Nollywoodβs own Kanayo O. Kanayo and the iconic baby-pounding scene from Billionaireβs Clubβa nod that sends chills down the spine of anyone familiar with it. Writer-director Nduka Ebube Dike is a horror head, that much is obvious, and Who Dies Next? may as well be regarded as his love letter to the genre, as well as his attempt to step away from theory, get his hands dirty as a filmmaker, and bring something to life.
The projectβs vision is commendable. In the opening scene, the camera pulls back to reveal the characters staring in disbelief at a corpse through a window, which is an effective hook. The camerawork, particularly the decision to present the film as a found-footage recording, is the icing on the cake. Itβs a perfect fit for the story, and I appreciated how the audience is gradually clued into that realization. Initially, I questioned the shaky camera and the creative intent behind it, but the film soon reveals its purpose. Unfortunately, I wished more aspects of the movie were as thoughtfully executed as the camerawork.
Some errors slipped through the cracks during writing, shooting, and editing. For example, around the 6:59 mark, Onwuka says, βWhatever is inside here is better than what is out there,β in response to why heβs heading outside instead of staying with the others in the haunted house. This line could have easily been fixed in post with a simple ADR, yet it made it to the final cut. While the dialogue is serviceable, the actorsβ execution needed more polish. Across the board, the performances leave a little more to be desired. Despite the ominous presence of a corpse and red motifs, I never felt that the characters were in as much danger as their words suggested. The director shares some of the blame here, as itβs his job to extract the best performances from his actors, even within the constraints of a small production. Sadly, what we got fell short.
Overall, Who Dies Next? neither scares nor thrills, to be honest. It barely attempts to answer the few basic questions it raises as it inches toward revealing who indeed dies next. Questions like: Why are they dying? Who is doing the killing? Who or what killed the first guy? And why kill some while letting others live? I understand that short films are, well, short, so I didnβt expect answers to every question. However, I did expect some resolution or at least a nudge toward a conclusion that might leave viewers clamoring for more in an extended piece of work. Unfortunately, the film fails to deliver on that front. Worse, Iβm left with little desire to return to the world of this storyβever. Thatβs a poor place to leave viewers of any short film.
While the world wouldnβt change if this piece of work didnβt exist, for filmmaker Nduka Ebube Dike, Who Dies Next? represents everything. Itβs clearly a stepping stone, and perhaps thatβs enough for nowβa step towards growth as a filmmaker. I see the vision, and Iβm rooting for him to step things up in his next project.