Saturday Special: What Death Leaves Behind [Film]

“What Death Leaves Behind tells of a man who, after a kidney transplant, experiences reoccurring nightmares he believes to be visions of his donor’s violent murder, sending him on a dark path of vengeance, leading to an unbearable truth.” – October Coast PR

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There seems to be a wave of new questions appearing in film and television these days in regards to the human body, and what it means to take a physical part of another human being, and put it inside your own body. And I have to say, it is insane to dismiss the possibility of mental side effects being a very real thing. How can it not? We are (most of the time) born with the same organs and (usually) wired accordingly the same as one another. But, what happens when we take from others? Especially from others we know nothing about? Is it possible that some very crazy shit can enter your psyche and leave you emotionally unstable, driving right to the point of psychosis? Well, that seems to be exactly what the multi-faceted filmmaker Scott A. Hamilton was looking to explore when he brought the idea to the large screen with What Death Leaves Behind. And Folks, let’s just say he did a phenomenal job! Regular readers may be reminded of the concept also being done on the Amazon Original series we touted recently entitled Dark/Web, except with a heart. And while that was a wonderful episode of series with a wider reach, this is a feature-lengthed look at the chaos that can ensue in the hunt for the truth and should be looked at from a very different emotional sense.

I would dare say that the amount of elements to love about What Death Leaves Behind is truly fascinating in itself. It’s wonderfully shot and edited in such a manner that if Hamilton isn’t attempting to scare the hell out of you, he’s making sure that you are strapped in for the emotional rollercoaster that is going off the proverbial rails right before your very eyes. And while I usually question the necessary use of non-linear storytelling, it absolutely works in this film and creates an entirely unique way of looking at the story at hand. And I will be damned if newcomer Khalil McMillan gives an absolutely mesmerizing performance as the show’s protagonist, backed by the likes of greats like Christopher Mann and Vincent Young. Again, What Death Leaves Behind is just an all around wonderfully made film with a suspense filled story to tell. I highly recommend you feast your eyes on the wonder as soon as possible.

What Death Leaves Behind, from Artist Rights Distribution and Smash Entertainment, in theaters nationally this fall.