Why Don’t You Just Die! (Russia, 2018)

I decided to broaden my options for cult classics and foreign horror this year by subscribing to the Arrow Video Channel. Unlike, say, Shudder, they don’t just have horror in their catalogue, which does mean that their horror selection is a bit smaller. Even so, this has given me access to films that I’ve been meaning to watch for years alongside others I’d never even heard of. Why Don’t You Just Die! (the exclamation mark is part of the title, much to the dismay of my grammar checker) is one of the latter. I’ve not seen many Russian horror films, so that alone was enough grab my attention.

I only discovered afterwards that the director, Kirill Sokolov, has recently gone on to international success with They Will Kill You, a film that was on my list of candidates this year. Based on how much fun Why Don’t You Just Die! was, I may have to juggle things around to make room for it.

Why Don’t You Just Die! is currently streaming on the Arrow Video Channel in the UK.

Synopsis

A hapless young man named Matvei turns up unannounced at the home of Andrei, a thuggish police detective, clutching a hammer behind his back. Matvei purports to be the boyfriend of Olya, Andrei’s daughter, so Andrei invites him in. It turns out that Olya told Matvei that her father abused her when she was a child, so Matvei is here for bloody revenge. This does not work out well for either of them, as the brief-but-intense fight that follows leaves Matvei a broken mess and smashes a hole in Andrei’s wall, revealing a large stash of banknotes hidden there.

The subdued Matvei is imprisoned in Andrei’s bathroom, where he schemes, tries to escape, and ends up being tortured with an electric drill. This begins a cycle of escalating violence. Just to make things worse, when Andrei calls his daughter to ask about Matvei, she claims not to know who he is. Just who is lying to who?

Tasha, Andrei’s wife, wants to hand Matvei over to the police, but Andrei points out that this will raise awkward questions about the multiple holes that Andrei has drilled in Matvei’s leg. Andrei’s hand is forced, however, when his partner, Evgenich, turns up. We start to learn, through flashbacks, that there is much more to this situation than we realised.

Did Olya really send Matvei to kill her father? Is there anyone in Moscow who Andrei hasn’t screwed over? And just how many times can Matvei die before the film is over?

General Thoughts

I am a sucker for a film that works within limitations. Barring a few flashbacks, all of the action in Why Don’t You Just Die! takes place in a single apartment, with a small cast. This frees up the budget for property damage, makeup effects, and enough fake blood to drown the world.

If you find yourself enjoying Why Don’t You Just Die!, I highly recommend checking out some of Charlie Higson’s novels. While he’s best known for comedy and YA books, Higson has written a handful of thrillers with a very similar tone to this film, drenched in gore and dark humour. Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen is a great place to start.

And speaking of similarities, it’s hard not to compare the direction and cinematography here to the work of Sam Raimi and Edgar Wright. This is a mad, kinetic film that makes its cameras earn their money. It would have been engaging to watch even if the script hadn’t been so inventive.

Verdict

For all the gore and mutilation, Why Don’t You Just Die! is a beautiful film. Its bright colour palette is a treat for the eyes, even as everything gets covered in blood. The mood is further lifted by bouncy music and the ludicrous slapstick of the fight scenes, although this only goes so far once Andrei gets his electric drill out. Without these light touches, this would have been an absolutely harrowing film. Instead, it’s the kind of black comedy that will have you peeking between your fingers even as you laugh.

And that’s the only reason Why Don’t You Just Die! is unlikely to make my top three this year: it’s not really horror. Sure, I suspect it will be one of the most violent films of the month, and there are moments that might reintroduce you to your dinner, but it never tries to scare us. There aren’t really any horror tropes beyond a torture scene or two, so I am puzzled why it is listed as a horror film. Still, it is entertaining enough that I just don’t care.

This is a tight, intense story with some great twists and turns. While you will see many of the reveals coming, this isn’t the kind of film that relies solely on its twists. Mostly, it’s just a bunch of dysfunctional characters in a high-pressure situation, going at each other like rats in a sack. Vitaly Khaev’s performance as Andrei is a particular highlight, offering us a very believable kind of psycho, and I almost rooted for him at times despite all the terrible things he does.

If you’re in the market for some pure, high-octane entertainment and you’re not bothered about whether it’s scary, you should definitely make room for Why Don’t You Just Die! this month. Just remember to lay down some plastic sheeting first.

The October Horror Movie Challenge

Please do join in and share your own thoughts with us about this or any other films as the month goes on. You can usually find us on BlueSky, Reddit, Discord, or on the other side of the mirror.

If you would like to play along at home, my provisional selections are:

Messiah of Evil (USA, 1974)
Milk & Serial (USA, 2024)
Why Don’t You Just Die! (Russia, 2018)
The Visitor (Italy, 1979)
Lake Michigan Monster (USA, 2018)
Save the Green Planet (Korea, 2003)
Daniel Isn’t Real (USA, 2020)
New Religion (Japan, 2022)
The Driller Killer (USA, 1979)
Saccharine (Australia, 2026)
Evil Cat (Hong Kong, 1987)
Stéphane (France, 2023)
Send Help (USA, 2026)
Vampire Clay (Japan, 2017)
Hokum (Ireland, 2026)
Jack Be Nimble (New Zealand, 1993)
Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (Japan, 2007)
The Appointment (UK, 1982)
Vampyr (German, 1932)
A Desert (USA, 2024)
The Fake Ghost Catchers (Hong Kong, 1982)
The Last Horror Film (USA, 1982)
Rampo Noir (Japan, 2005)
Fréwaka (Ireland, 2024)
Angst (Germany, 1983)
Toys Are Not For Children (USA, 1972)
The Cycle (USA, 2026)
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (Italy, 1971)
Meanwhile on Earth (France, 2024)
The Ambulance (USA, 1990)
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (USA, 2026)

A Final Note

If you have been enticed here by these posts, please do look around at some of our other film reviews. We also have a podcast, called The Good Friends of Jackson Elias, which occasionally covers horror films. If this appeals, you might want to check out some of the following episodes.