Tell Me How I Die is a thriller by D.J. Viola who’s humor and attractive cast outshine the spotty script and artificial snowdrifts. When a group of college students take part in a clinical drug trial, an unexpected side effect of the experimental medicine gives them terrifying visions of their own deaths…which begin to come true.

If you didn’t catch our red carpet coverage read it here.

I am sure a lot of people could tell D.J. Viola, director of Tell Me How I Die, how this movie will die in theatres, but not without a few laughs. As a believer there are so few original stories today, the premise is familiar, but none the less intriguing. A group of college students sign up for a clinical trial to be lab rats for a drug that improves memory. The side effects give them visions of murderous death and as they scramble to deter it, they discover the killer also shares the ability to see the future.

With the increasing amount of escape rooms, parallels can be drawn as a relatable experience. Trapped in a building with a killer and clues, with the stereotypical dumb girl, the jock, the tech geek, the smart girl, and the smart ass…learning to work together is the key. There is a lot of time spent trying to figure that out to ever agree on a plan, which arguably leads to the suspense.

There is at least one great kill that makes the audience gasp and groan in satisfaction. The movie has it’s share of “pop outs” and a tense soundtrack to enhance them. As most thrillers do, this story relies heavily on the suspension of disbelief. The manipulation of space/time continuum is explained away in a brief unsupportive way, creating its share of plot holes, but can be overlooked for the sake of the overall premise. The motivation of the killer was also unclear. At first revenge, but later sloughed off as actions of a psychopath, making it unpredictable, at least. The ending, left unresolved, perhaps in hope for a sequel. The saving grace was the humor, which helped move along the awkward moments, and however cheesy, were welcomed.

The biggest letdown are the effects. In my opinion, if you can’t afford to do it well, don’t do it. While this film may not have been special effects heavy with gore, the ordinary things were distractions, like setting the story in the mountains. The fake snow was unnecessary, and a poor choice. It didn’t set the mood, it killed it.

There’s plenty of eye candy with the attractive cast, in which three of them carry the film. Nathan Kress as Den, the broody sensitive type, has great chemistry with Virginia Gardner, Anna, the strong female lead. Although the script didn’t offer much, they did express a lot of emotion and character. Mark Furze as Marcus, was a relatable third. Ryan Higa should probably stick to YouTube, as his delivery of his poorly written comedic lines were equally flat. William Mapother as Dr. Jerrems, portrays an untrustworthy Doctor, but with his choices grind the pace to a halt.

I think overall, it was in line with most modern thrillers with a young, attractive cast. If you don’t get too deep into the plot, or the snowdrifts, there’s plenty of eye-candy, startles and chuckles to keep you entertained for 107 minutes.