There are a ton of low budget horror movies out there that try to take certain tropes from certain classic monsters or biblical passages and make something that expands upon those ideas. Often times we are left with an amazing idea that could have been expanded upon possibly with more money or a great premise with lackluster performances. However director Jason Krawcyzk took a very simple premise and combined it with the acting genius of Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins to deliver us a comedic action flick that has you pondering it's protagonists existence and how he has these strange abilities all the way until the end in He Never Died.

18HENEVER-facebookJumboJack is a solemn lonely man who lives in his meager apartment with a trunk full of money. He sleeps all day, goes to the same diner every day and doesn't care for social interaction other than his daily transactions with a medical student where he purchases something secret. One day he discovers he has a daughter out of nowhere who forces him to confront humanity and his problems socializing especially when his past catches up with him. His past being that he has survived for most of human existence feeding on human flesh and no matter what he can never die. Fighting his urges as well as goons that he crosses in the streets Jack must regain some semblance of humanity as well as stop the mafia thugs he pisses off on a daily basis!

HENEVERDIEDROLLINSIGGThe best way I can describe this movie is let's say Marv from Sin City had no sense of humor or social skills and he was an immortal cannibal. Let's also say that because he's been around so long that he's taken up almost every job there is and is especially good at being an enforcer, but that job also tends to make quite a few enemies. So from generations of jobs and meager living styles this guy is rich and just wants to be left alone, trying a five step program to kick his cannibalistic needs which is why he purchases under the table medical meat from a poor Med School student. Take all that and let's have him played by Henry Rollins.

He_Never_Died_Still014Henry Rollins as Jack is dead pan humor as he shows little to no emotion toward normal situations making them seem banal and he loves his life matter of factly. Henry Rollins is a big dude and we see this guy stabbed, shot, beaten and he shrugs it off like its nothing. The only thing that truly bothers him are the cries and sounds of war he hears at night while sleeping. He is constantly reminded of the several lifetimes he's lived. He has had and lost, and he has taken many innocent lives before settling on his current way of life. He is not afraid of death but of dispensing it and giving into his urges which he only does when people deserve to die. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when provoked by a thug who tries to drown him he claws out his throat and eats it. He then spends the rest of the night trying to find the worst scumbag possible so he can have a full meal! Rollins of course is no stranger to horror having been in both John Gulager's Feast and Joe Lynch's Wrong Turn 2, but this time is so different and masterfully done he is so much fun to watch as his expressions give way to so much dry humor that makes the movie completely enjoyable.

la-et-mn-mini-he-never-died-review-20151218Krawcyzk's style is really fun as he combines terrifying action scenes with great music such as the finale being done against a jazzy tune! From what I can tell this is his first horror film in his career, which he has both written and directed, but he mixed a lot of genres in here, which when you discover somewhat of who and what Jack is you aren't given too much information but you can't help but think how cool it is! The ending is my only problem with the film because it indeed just ends, however I have heard rumor of a television series headed by Krawcyzk that would continue from the film which I am wholeheartedly down for! I only hope they are able to continue with Rollins as Jack!
29 Days til' Halloween! Halloween!
29 Days til' Halloween! Silver Shamrock!