Without much fanfare, He Never Died became one of the most intelligent and interesting independent horror films of 2016 (in the UK). Jason Krawczyk’s film cast the enigmatic Henry Rollins as the reluctant cannibal who has to save his daughter whilst trying not to eat anyone. He also written the screenplay for the sequel, She Never Died, with Audrey Cummings taking over at the helm. Whilst it exists in the same universe as the original, it’s decidedly stranger.
Lacey (Olunike Adeliyi) doesn’t like people. Or rather, she likes people a little too much. Cursed with immortality and a thirst for blood, she locks herself away from the rest of the world and seeks out the baddest of the bad to sate her needs. When she inadvertently saves Suzzie (Kiana Madeira) from a criminal gang, Lacey has to come out of her shell and face her inner demons.
Whilst She Never Died seldom quite lives up to the heights of the original, a full-blooded performance from Olunike Adeliyi ensures that it’s an enthralling and compelling horror. The chemistry between Lacey and Suzzie adds a whole new dynamic to the story and there’s a refreshing macabre humour throughout. She Never Died is a vibrant slice of genre cinema, with the promise of more to come.
She Never Died screened at Grimmfest.
