Already Dead (2007) User Reviews

A Superb Action Thriller!

[Mr_Saxon · 7/10 · 8 January 2008]

It seems strange to me that we live in an age where scripts for mediocre thrillers such as "Firewall" can draw a big name like Harrison Ford whilst this little gem goes seemingly unnoticed. However, don't let the absence of any A-list Hollywood names stop you from checking out "Already Dead" because Ron Eldard and Til Schweiger are perfectly cast here. Never heard of them? Don't worry - you'll probably recognise them when you see their faces and, if there really is a God, they'll both soon headline much bigger movies.

What's fantastic about "Already Dead" is that it doesn't waste time getting into the story. The movie begins with events set in motion. Our first scene introduces us to Thomas Archer, a man evidently in some degree of emotional turmoil, as he walks through a train station with a large bag. What's in the bag? As he makes his journey towards his destination the audience is given brief flashbacks which bring you up to speed on what has already happened. As the present events unfold, the flashbacks continue until they intersect at a specific point and Thomas Archer is posed with a terrible decision.

I won't mention any more of the storyline because, for me, one of the highlights was the way in which it progressed. Another review on IMDb mentioned the lack of surprises which makes me wonder if we saw the same movie. I was continually wondering about the motivations of certain characters (in particular, Schweiger's character who is simply known as 'The Man') and the ending I predicted never occurred (yet still fully satisfied me). I also have to take issue with another reviewer's comments that the movie was 'slow in the middle'. I didn't find that all.

Despite "Already Dead" being a very polished production, it is deliberately filmed in a very raw way which mainly uses hand-held cameras to make you feel as though you're there with Archer during the movie. Good performances from the two leads as well as the supporting actors (Patrick Kilpatrick and Christopher Plummer) ensure that you're gripped throughout. It also manages to not outstay its welcome; there certainly weren't any moments when I found myself looking at my watch.

If you like smart thrillers with lots of action, I'd definitely recommend checking out "Already Dead". I'd also recommend not reading about the plot beforehand. Watch it without any knowledge of what will be happening and you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Very watchable. Not many surprises, but good quality film

[night_wng · 6/10 · 29 December 2007]

I enjoyed this film, for the most part. The acting was well done, lighting was good, and it had plenty of action to hold interest. One main point I liked, is that it will cause you to wonder if you might take the same risks and actions, as the father does, if you were in his shoes.

It seemed every scene was valuable to the story, and character background. But, I thought the sequencing of certain scenes caused me to momentarily lose my focus on what was happening.

I won't say what those are, or discuss any of what happens. I did wonder who plays the son. There was no mention of him in the credits, nor is that information on any movie review site that I've seen.

Watchable...though a little slow in the middle

[Sand-Dancer · 6/10 · 28 December 2007]

I wasn't completely sure what to expect from this movie given the plot summary, title and no previous user comments.

The movie starts slightly 'within' the story so we are given a few flashbacks at the beginning to let us know why this slightly dishevelled guy is walking with a big black bag (hmmm, I wonder what's in it!). However, although it seemed to start out pretty predictable, it was still intriguing enough for the first 15 minutes or so to keep me watching (that's my usual time limit before I decide to switch off or not).

There are some twists and turns along the way, though the seasoned movie aficionado will probably guess them all anyway (I try not to work it out - I prefer to just sit back and go along with the ride). It does get a little slow in the middle, but then picks up again towards the end.

The acting was fine, particularly Til Schweiger (The Man), who should be doing better in Hollywood than his Filmography suggests.

If you like a bit of suspense and a bit of action without too much thinking, then I can recommend this movie. It wasn't terrible but it won't win any Oscars either. 6/10

Destroyed Lives

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 28 July 2016]

The family man Thomas Archer (Ron Eldard) is successful at work and happily married with his beloved wife Sarah Archer (Marisa Coughlan) and they have an adorable boy. When a burglar kills his son and the babysitter and beats Sarah, Thomas fights the killer and glances at a tattoo on his wrist; however the killer escapes and the lives of Thomas and Sarah are destroyed. Neither Sarah nor Thomas recover from their loss and when the detective (Patrick Kilpatrick) informs that the case will be closed due to lack of clues, budget and manpower to proceed, Thomas is forced to go on therapy with the psychiatrist Dr. Heller (Christopher Plummer). Three months later, Thomas has no psychological improvement and Dr. Heller offers an expensive alternative method to resolve his trauma: Thomas should pay US$ 500,000.00 to a secret group of vigilantes that would deliver the criminal to him and he could revenge upon the man that ruined his family. Thomas accepts the deal and is summoned to an abandoned facility monitored by cameras where he meets a gagged man (Til Schweiger) tied up to a chair in a room with instruments of torture. Thomas tortures the man that should be the wanted killer but out of the blue, he finds that the man does not have the tattoo on the wrist. He calls Dr. Heller to explain the mistake but the doctor tells that the only way to leave the room is killing the man that is a scum. But Thomas does not accept the offer and teams up with the man. Will they succeed to flee from the place?

"Already Dead" is a suspenseful low-budget thriller with an engaging story and great performances. The plot about revenge builds up tension and the twists are predictable except the last one in the very last minute. But the film is very enjoyable. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available.

Pretty good thriller

[petsteph1 · 7/10 · 13 October 2009]

The premise is simple and the movie takes place in a warehouse: one man has been given the killer of his son to exact vengeance, but that's not really how it is...

The acting was good for the most part - the script was fine, the direction was solid and the story line was fine with small doses of suspension of disbelief. But hey it's not a documentary.

Maybe the denouement could've been a little more clear but it worked.

Quite gory and a lot of violence so this definitely isn't one for the family video night until the kids are asleep.

Enjoy.

Steady slide downhill......

[merklekranz · 5/10 · 5 November 2008]

Interesting premise of a secret organization that gives victims an opportunity for revenge when the judicial system fails. Unfortunately a similar idea was explored far better in "Star Chamber". Most of the movie takes place in an abandoned manufacturing building with hand held cameras. Everything is very dark, with much of the action almost impossible to see. Christopher Plummer is always above average, but here his character is used for nothing more than a well telegraphed twist at the end. So what you get is a good start, followed by a prolonged chase, and finally a no surprise "surprise ending". Not recommended - MERK

Finish it. Get back your life.

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 17 January 2009]

An interesting twist to the typical revenge movie.

Ron Eldard's life is turned upside down after his son is killed and his wife (Marisa Coughlan) is attacked during a burglary. This information is presented in brief flashbacks as he proceeds to a room where the supposed burglar is strapped to a chair and a table full of implements a la Hostel is available to him to exact his revenge.

Christopher Plummer plays a psychiatrist that arranges for former law enforcement officers to find the perpetrator when the police fail. But, things don't go as planned and Eldard ends up running for his life.

An exciting thriller with lots of action in the second half, and an unexpected ending.

Gets three stars for the acting

[preppy-3 · 3/10 · 12 February 2009]

Thomas Archer (Ron Eldard) has his child killed and his wife viciously attacked in a home invasion. Dr. Heller (Christopher Plummer) tries to help him through the post traumatic stress. Then Archer finds himself confronted with a man (Til Schweiger) bound and gagged to a chair. He is told this is the man who killed his child and attacked his wife and he can do whatever he likes to him. And there's a large assortment of instruments there to help him...

Film is interesting at first (and shows real restraint in terms of blood and gore) but gets stupider by the minute and has some highly unlikely plot twists and turns. It all ends in a final twist that was so old and stupid that I was shocked anyone would actually think of using it anymore. How such talented actors like Eldard, Schweiger and Plummer got involved in crap like this is beyond me. This gets three stars for the acting but the stupid plot and truly unbelievable twists make this a chore to sit through.

Lame - SPOILERS

[carrie7 · 2/10 · 28 December 2007]

The premise of the film is that Thomas Archer's son was murdered and his wife was brutalized -- and he is given a chance at revenge when (after Post Traumatic Stress Disorder therapy), he is put in a room with a man strapped to a chair and told this was the culprit. He is given a large table of implements with which to offer retribution: drills, bats, nails, sledgehammers, torches, whatever you can think of that someone could possibly want to use to physically hurt another human being.

We go way too many scenes of torture before we figure out that The Man Archer is torturing is not the man who committed the crime. The two then create an uncomfortable alliance; who put them in this situation and why.

Well, when all is said and done, we don't really care...

Pretty damn good

[depayens · 8/10 · 2 January 2008]

After reading the reviews on here I wasn't expecting much from this movie but I have to say that I definitely was surprised at how underrated this movie is.

this movie has no big name actors but the acting is definitely solid. Til Sweiger isn't a huge actor but is a hell of a lot better than some bigger ones. The special effects, directing, and filming were all par with big movies. Overall its a very solid movie.

Almost dead has a great plot line and does well mixing action and thriller moments. There's no good way to tell some of the twists without containing spoilers but its a definite must watch for people who like hostel and rambo.

Early potential squandered

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 20 December 2014]

ALREADY DEAD is a very low budget B-movie filmed in an abandoned factory complex (as so many are). While it starts off on a strong footing, with an intriguing plot along the lines of the Nicolas Cage flick JUSTICE or one of the many revenge thrillers made over the years, it gradually loses steam until becoming another generic shoot-em-out in the second half.

The first half is surprisingly mature, though. It involves some unpleasant torture sequences a la HOSTEL, but it justifies them through a moral quandary storyline which has you intrigued. The first half is an essential two-hander, although Christopher Plummer cameos; of the central twosome, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS's Til Schweiger convinces as a man who may or may not be a child murderer, although the lead (Ron Eldard) gives a weaker performance.

Unfortunately the early promise soon evaporates in favour of routine, low-rent action and this is where the film stalls. To do action successfully you need skill, style and plenty of suspense between the shoot-outs, but what we get are scenes of two guys talking in a dark room interspersed with the most forgettable gun fights ever. Despite the presence of B-movie veteran Patrick Kilpatrick it never generates excitement due to staid direction and uneventful scripting, which is a shame as ALREADY DEAD had the potential to be something genuinely interesting.

I hope you are dumb enough not to realize this script is impossibly stupid.

[dilbertsuperman · 1/10 · 8 January 2008]

This movie is deeply idiotic. A man wants revenge for a crime- but when he enacts his revenge- there is a video camera pointed right at him the entire time. What man with a brain cell in his head would sit there and do this for so long in front of a video camera?

Just the fact that this script could never even happen except with someone unable to dress themselves destroyed it for me- but it got dumber!!!

I am thinking the script writers have some serious habits that are cooking their brain cells and making them miss plot holes you can drive an battalion of armored tanks through.

PLOT: a man seeks revenge for the death of loved ones, but in the middle of the plot something goes totally wrong, and then the unexpected unfolds.

If only these people writing this story hadn't been so dumb as to write totally unrealistic plot turns that could never happen this way. To the writers I say- seek help for your serious mental problem.

predictable, no storyline.

[dickson-mech · 2/10 · 29 January 2011]

I have watched a lot of crappy movies,which tempted me to write a review so that others don't waste their time. But due to my laziness i have always refrained. Enough is Enuf.

So its a Saturday evening, felt like watching a good action thriller. So i go thru the IMDb review comments for this movie. Now for a moron i am, i decided to trust the review comments of IMDb users. 2hrs wasted and all the excitement to watch an Action movie gone.

Review: 2 stars for the bck grnd music. don't believe the other review comments. If you are a regular movie watcher, there is not one twist in this movie which you wouldn't have guessed, there absolutely no action, no story, bad acting. There is not even a hot chick in the movie.

Advice: pls stay away.

Painful movie with many questions unanswered

[pgamble-3 · 1/10 · 3 March 2011]

This was one movie that was painful to watch. There are some fantastic actors in this movie - such as Christopher Plummer - who probably regret ever appearing in it.

The movie involves a young father who loses a young son through a brutal home invasion. The police - through budget cuts - drop the case. The father finds it hard to cope and after an altercation at the Police station - is referred to a Physchiatrist who is often used by the police. The main character finds little comfort from the shrink and is later referred to - by his shrink - to use a secret organisation - a gang of vigilantes to hunt down and kill his son's murder. Suddenly we flash forward and find the young father in a room with his son's killer and a table full of torture weapons. After inflicting a huge amount of pain - the father realises that "this is not the guy". Trying to make amends, the father tries to escape with his new pal.

Spoiler alert - we soon find out that the main leaders of the secret organisation is the shrink and the main detective on his son's murder. Seems they just did it to make some money and get rid of somebody on their 'bad' list.

Now this is my problem, if they wanted to get rid of this guy so bad - why didn't they just kill him off from the word go. And how could this secret organisation - who managed to catch such a super bad ass in the first place, suddenly become the world's worst shots and allow the father and his new 'pal' such an easy escape.

The story is so damn predictable. Do yourself a favour - do not watch

surprisingly advanced and suspenseful thriller with some interesting twists

[Stefan_Glasgow · 8/10 · 29 June 2008]

I have to be in the mood for thrillers as I often find them a little predictable. Not so with 'Already Dead'. (Btw, the title seems to be a very poor choice, coming from a glib one-liner in the movie and has no relevance to the plot whatsoever nor even to what you might think the plot might be.)

When Archer's happy, affluent life as a ordinary man is destroyed in a moment of life's cruelty as a result of the murder of his young son, he and his wife are devastated by the tragedy. It is tearing him up inside and destroying his marriage. When without really thinking about the implications, he is given or led into a clandestine opportunity to get his own back, without recrimination upon himself, against the man who destroyed his life he embarks upon a course of actions that leads where he would never have expected. There are some surprises in store.

In the hands of a different Director, this movie could have been so much better IMO, but for all its many Directorial faults, the acting skills of the people playing the main characters and a plausible storyline carry the film and make it eminently watchable, indeed, extremely suspenseful at times. Ron Eldard (Archer) and Til Schweiger (the 'man') are outstandingly good in their roles, although Plummer is just being a ham.

There are times where the pace slows a little and I felt a little bored whilst waiting for something to happen where a better Director would have used suspenseful music or switched scene or added dialogue, also occasionally better lighting would have not been a bad idea - watching a black screen whilst two men are fighting but you can't see them is a bit frustrating. Nevertheless I was intensely interested to see what happened so I stuck with the movie despite the less skillful Direction.

I am being rather generous with my rating at 8 stars, but the film deserves some merit for a very interesting storyline, convincingly portrayed by skillful actors despite only passably competent Direction.

Worth watching to the end despite a few lulls in pace. Overall a good film, with a few twists and several incredibly tense scenes that should stop you switching it off. For all its faults, I enjoyed it.

The Horror of an Avenging Mind

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 30 March 2008]

While the current trend in scary movies seems to be becoming the property of the Computer Generated Graphics industry, real terror comes from studying the possibilities of a human mind scarred by trauma. Such is the material that makes ALREADY DEAD a frightening film - a revenge story by Robert Lynn Archer transformed for the screen by Joe Chappelle and directed imaginatively by Joe Otting. If the theme of a citizen taking justice into his own hands is not new, it wears well enough when we consider the current state of criminal justice as portrayed in the media today.

Thomas Archer (Ron Eldard) is living a successful, happy life until a burglary associated with the death of the babysitter and his son and the beating of his wife disrupts everything. Thomas is informed that the police don't have the manpower to investigate the killings, a fact that further enrages Thomas who is unable to work or function in his grief state. He is referred to a therapist Dr. Heller (Christopher Plummer) who oddly counsels him that perhaps the only way Thomas can get on with his life is to do everything in his power to track the killer down on his own. 'Arrangements' are made with a group of men (mostly frustrated cops) who inform Thomas that for a large fee they will take him to the killer and he can act on his vengeance. Transported by cellphone instructions to a deserted warehouse, Thomas encounters a bound and gagged man (Til Schweiger) who he is told is the killer of his son. Thomas begins his torture of the man only to gradually discover that the man does not bear the arm tattoo Thomas had clearly seen on the perpetrator. Dr. Heller is called to the scene and encourages Thomas to kill the suspect, but Thomas has enough doubt that he frees the suspect and together they begin a terrifying journey out of the maze-like warehouse. The ending may not come as a complete surprise, but it is the telling of the story as basically a character study between the two men that makes the film powerful.

Both Ron Eldard and Til Schweiger are completely convincing in their not so disparate roles: they both have very strong screen presences and with minimal dialog manage to take us, the audience, along with this creepy 'game'. There is some violence to be sure, but the terror of the film emanates more from the interaction of Eldard and Schweiger, each showing the extremes the bruised psyche can display. Not a great film but a film far above the routine 'horror picture' category. Grady Harp

Better Than Expected and Superior Casting

[rsternesq · 8/10 · 5 July 2010]

Gore is not my usual thing but this is a sort of chess game plus Spanish prisoner plus violence with very nice looking male leads that turns out to be worth the time spent on it. Agree that some of the details could be improved but all in all, it is worth the two hours. One thing that is very striking is the casting. The Tom Archer character and his son are cast with actors who look like a father and son. remarkably so and the kid is a beautiful child with real camera presence. the actress who plays the mom looks like she could be the mom but beyond that is a prop. the one line that resonates is that when she looks at her husband, she sees the son. So does the audience. That said, the mechanic is a somewhat handsomer version of the same type and the two of them fill the screen with enough male energy to make the screen sizzle. the bad guys are very bad indeed and the good guys -- one a bit more shaded than the other but still coming down squarely on the "hero" side, are satisfying. In the end, it is a parable, a chess game, a conundrum and a lesson that probably needs to be learned by most of us in that things aren't simple, bad things happen and that two wrongs most assuredly don't make a right but that the male instinct to protect should be understood and supported when it appears in the sheepdog because that is our only defense against the ravening wolves amongst us.