Digging To Death

Plus, for as well written as the movie’s plot is, Blevins fails to maintain the unease of David’s mental state throughout the entire production. Several scenes are creepy and intense, but that atmosphere dissipates when David is at work, so the severity of his plight is never fully felt (excluding the final sequence at his job). Similar issues apply to visits from Mark, who tells his friend that he can open up, but David never does. Was he always this closed off, or this is new? If it is new, does Mark think it’s just the divorce getting to him? By failing to explore this angle, the change in David is hard to discern entirely until the last 30 or so minutes.

With all that being said, Digging To Death does ultimately work. For one, the cast is pretty good. Ford Austin is relatable and engaging as the stressed David and his debates with a mirror over keeping the money or not are suspenseful, as he presents two totally different versions of the role. Alig is also fun in her role as Jessica, cementing their bond realistically and naturally. Fitzpatrick is menacing as The Corpse, helping create the most harrowing moments (minus the final ten minutes, which are brilliant) of the entire film.

“…the cast is pretty good.”

Secondly, the writing, specific side characters notwithstanding, is excellent. The dialogue is realistic, allowing viewers to invest in David and his plight easily. And again, the ending makes it all worth it. It is clear Blevins had a particular vision for his first feature-length film in almost a decade and sticks to his guns the whole way through. For any issues the movie may have, the resolution makes the 96-minute time investment worth it.

Is Digging To Death perfect? No, as the atmosphere is only present in fits and starts for at least half the runtime. Plus, certain characters are obvious fodder. But the cast is good, and the filmmaker has the conviction to allow for an unpleasant though logical ending. These elements make the production quite easy to recommend.