“A sensible
revenge thriller with an ending that makes no sense.”
How does one die? What is the ultimate form of death? In 6 Ways to Die, writer-director Nadeem Soumah tells the story of a man killed in different ways before his breath is
finally taken away.
A mysterious John Doe (Vinnie Jones) holds a magnanimous
grudge against Sonny “Sundown” Garcia (Michael Rene Walton), the most influential
drug kingpin in the Northern Hemisphere. Both men grew up together in the slums
of Juarez, but in order to join the Mexican cartel of cocaine baron El Jefe (Luis Fernandez-Gil), Sonny betrayed John, killed the lone woman he loved and framed
her for her murder.
After spending twenty years in prison, John resurfaces to
seek vengeance against the man who destroyed his life. But death will not come
easy as John wants Sonny to suffer. Hiring six skilled criminals, John gently
strip away everything from Sonny – his fortune, his reputation, his honor, his wife,
his freedom and his life.
6 Ways to Die is
told in six short chapters, each corresponding to Sonny’s ordeals. After some
time, viewers will see that all sections follow certain pattern: the criminal
is introduced, John contacts them, he delivers their mission inside a Cadillac,
he tells part of his history, and the criminal does the job, some successfully
escape unscathed while others get busted. Chapters are also interconnected through
certain plot holes to be filled in by the succeeding part.
Employing Christopher Nolan’s 2002 Memento style, the film uses reverse chronology to an impressive
and engaging effect. It opens with Sonny’s death in the club and moves one week
earlier for each chapter. With each part running for 15-20 minutes, the movie is
undeniably fast-paced, breathtaking and mesmerizing. Although loaded with too many
plot twists, the film is easy to follow and understand.
Despite its well-crafted structure and intelligent storytelling,
certain parts in the narrative are improbable and unpersuasive. The segment on loyalty,
represented with the job of stealing a necklace, is very lousy and unnecessary.
It’s hard to believe that Sonny’s necklace is an essential part of his life. The
movie also seems to overdo its slow-mo sequences. At some points, they work. But when
there are excessive moments that appear to freeze and stretch forever, it
deadens the excitement. Likewise, there are plenty of close-up gunshots which deprive
audience with the actual shootouts.
Actors speaking slowly is not helping, particularly Jones. Initially,
it is quite suspenseful. But after repeating that for another five rounds, it
is already annoying. While some appear too weak, other overplay their part like
‘90s character actors Tom Sizemore, Bai Ling and Dominique Swain. Topbilled Vivica A. Fox has strong presence but her short screen time near the end of the film
feels hanging.
Perhaps, the movie’s greatest flaw is its 1999’s Fight Club-inspired ending. After the
six chapters, you feel like there is still one final twist but the one that comes
is totally unexpected. Initial reaction would be an immense disbelief. When everything
sinks in and you finally have a thorough analysis, you will realize that it
does not make sense at all. There are other solutions which are simpler and do
not take so much trouble.
6 Ways to Die has
a clever way of storytelling but nothing much of substance to its story. It has
straightforward message and action sequences. However, its ending is the
biggest decision-maker. You will intensely love or hate the film after its
mind-blowing conclusion.
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