I love action movies, I really do. Burn It All really surprised me. Not only was it well acted (for the most part) and well written (for the most part) but it also stuck with me after the credits rolled for more than just the striking fight scenes. The film, while an action/revenge flick, wants to point out sexism and misogyny–not only in the genre but in society as well.

While in a downward spiral and about to take her own life, Alex (Elizabeth Cotter) receives a call saying her mother doesn’t have long to live. Even though they haven’t spoken in years, she decides to travel to her hometown and make the final arrangements. While there, Alex uncovers an organ harvesting ring led by an ominous and shady group of men. What follows is the longest three days of Alex’s life as she fights to stay alive and protect what matters to her.

The action is messy and hard hitting in all the right ways. While not perfect, those imperfections are what makes it even more impactful. Alex becomes tired and stumbles which only adds to the intensity of the fights. She isn’t some unstoppable killer. She is just someone who is fed up with being treated as a lesser person. The action is well choreographed and believable.

I wouldn’t be doing a great disservice to the film if I didn’t single out Elizabeth Cotter as Alex. As her first feature length film, she absolutely knocks it out of the park. She conveyed the pain, anger, and determination to a tee. And then there are her action scenes. With her background in martial arts and stunt work, Elizabeth was able to stand toe to toe to anyone and anything thrown at her while making it believable. While Alex is the main focal point of Burn It All, there are plenty of side characters. Though they range from okay to genuine. One the acting front, it’s a mixed bag mostly leaning towards not bad.

The script, while having something important to stay, can feel heavy handed at points. To be completely honest, as a cis male, I haven’t faced the microaggressions or backhanded sexism women face every day. To say I am conflicted is an understatement. The messages are important and need to be talked about, but how they seem to be shoehorned into scenes left a bit to be desired. When everything slows, the dialog really shines through. An early scene involving two people just chatting while walking was more natural and made me care about the people involved. And it’s moments like these that showed how talented the cast and writers are.

The editing is sharp and on point. Even fights in dark areas were easy to follow. I never felt lost or confused about what is going on. The soundtrack in minimal which adds to the impact of the action. In fact, the entire sound area was well done. The audio levels were solid all throughout.

Burn It All puts me in an unusual spot as a reviewer. On just the merits of acting and action, it holds its own as a gritty revenge tale. But when we get to writing and characters, it can become alienating to certain viewers. While it’s “political correctness” can be seen as overbearing by some, there is something worth saying. By the end of the day, Burn It All was well worth the view if for the fight scenes alone.

If you’re interested, watch Norm of HorrorBuzz interview Brady Hall & Elizabeth Cotter about the film right HERE.

 

7 out of 10

 

Burn It All
RATING: NR
BURN IT ALL - trailer
Runtime: 1 Hr. 42 Mins.
Directed By:
Written By:

 

About the Author

Nate Stephenson is a northern California native. His love horror and being scared runs deep. Gaming with his pups is where you'll find him on his downtime.