[Overlook 2024] ALL YOU NEED IS DEATH -- Beguiling Irish Folk Horror Frustrates Narratively

Review by Sean Boelman

For better or worse, Paul Duane’s All You Need Is Death is an incredibly strange and esoteric film. Although it will win over some fans, and it’s hard to deny the movie’s atmospheric strengths, this folk horror suffers from an aimless narrative and many inconsistencies undermining any of Duane's stylistic flourishes.

The film follows a couple who specialize in collecting rare folk ballads as they unintentionally release an ancient evil after discovering a long-forgotten, ancient taboo song. It’s a unique premise, but it’s not fully fleshed out and Duane’s script lacks the narrative drive to keep the viewer invested after this initial hook.

Those familiar with this style of horror will not be surprised to find that the pacing is incredibly slow. The first two-thirds of the movie is spent building an eerie atmosphere, only for the final act to go off the rails. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t earn this unhinged finale, nor does it feel particularly satisfying.

However, All You Need Is Death stands out from a lot of other movies in the folk horror genre because of how incredibly culturally specific it is, which ends up being a bit of a double-edged sword. While it does mean that the film does not fall back on the generic symbolism of the genre, it also causes some of the symbolism to not resonate as well with audiences who are not well-read on this culture.

The most intriguing thing about All You Need Is Death is how it uses its Irish folk music motifs. It should come as no surprise that Duane is so interested in the musicality of the movie, considering that much of his background is in music videos and music documentaries. Nonetheless, it’s impressive how Duane strikes the balance between beguiling and unsettling when it comes to the atmosphere. It uses these songs in a way that’s uncanny but not disrespectful to the culture they represent.

One can only wish that Duane exerted the same level of control and mastery over the rest of his style. Of course, some of the film’s problems, like its occasionally cheesy-looking effects or lackluster sound mixing, can be forgiven due to its independent nature and low budget. Others, like questionable framing, are more deliberate aesthetic choices that simply don’t work.

The performances are also wildly inconsistent. Although some in the supporting cast turn in performances like they are acting in a campy B-movie, the leads take themselves too seriously. It doesn’t help that the characters they play are so peculiar that it’s hard to buy into anything they do.

All You Need Is Death deserves praise for going to some of the weirder lengths it traverses and its incredible use of folk music, but this does not amount to a compelling watch as a whole. Still, it’s an auspicious narrative feature debut that suggests a bright future for Duane if he is able to work within the confines of a more traditional script.

All You Need Is Death is screening at the 2024 Overlook Film Festival, which runs April 4-7 in New Orleans, LA.

Rating: 2.5/5