Death Ranch (2020) User Reviews

The mayhem made it watchable...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 20 April 2021]

I must say that I liked this 2020 movie's cover/poster and it definitely had a retro blaxploitation feel to it. And since I hadn't already seen this movie before, and I had the opportunity to do so now in 2021, of course I did so.

And while "Death Ranch" certainly is a watchable movie, it was sadly also a rather bland and mundane movie. "Death Ranch" doesn't bring anything new to this particular style of revenge horror movie that haven't already been seen or done better in other similar movies. Now, don't get me wrong here, I am not saying that "Death Ranch" was a bad movie. Not at all. It just was a mediocre one when it came to it.

The storyline was pretty straight forward, but to the point where it was rather predictable, and that was something that served as an anchor and held the movie back. So writer and director Charlie Steeds sort of shot himself in the foot here with the way he opted to take the story and the movie.

It should be said, though, that what made "Death Ranch" watchable was the amount of blood, gore and mayhem throughout the course of the movie. There certainly was more than enough to keep a seasoned horror veteran and gorehound such as myself content. And I will say that the this movie is rather visceral and visual, and that definitely worked well in favor of the movie.

The acting in "Death Ranch" was adequate, taking into consideration the type of movie that you are sitting down to watch. So don't go expecting any grand, stellar acting performances that will reap an abundance of Academy awards.

All in all, "Death Ranch" was a watchable, albeit generic and bland one. It can easily be watched a single time around, but I doubt that I will ever be sitting down to watch "Death Ranch" a second time. My rating of "Death Ranch" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.

Death Ranch (dressing)

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 27 March 2022]

If you read what this is about ... well even if you haven't - the movie becomes quite clear fast enough. That being said, there is a lot you have to "endure" until the movie gets into gear. But it still is relatively short running time wise.

And it also boasts quite the nice special effects. Which brings me to the point that you should not have issues with blood and other disgusting things that this movie is depicting. There is a lot of violence and there is a lot of "stabbing" and/or shooting. There will be blood and guts one may say. If that floats your boat, you could do a lot worse. Still this decent and has the social message of don't be racist ... and an empowering one at that ... even if the actors may not be able to carry that burden fully ... it still is there for entertainment values. Which also brings us to the uneven tone ... serious and bloody on one hand, ridiculous and goofy on the other ... doesn't quite work with one of the bad guys - who cannot be taken seriously and therefor loses some of his touch/menace ... but I may be nitpicking! You decide if it works or not ... just cut it some slack.

1971? I don't think so, mmkay?

[robertjlarson · 6/10 · 14 February 2022]

In the opening of the movie, Brandon Cobbs, having just escaped prison, finds a public telephone in 1971 that is WAY ahead of its time. A public phone in 1971 TN would have been in a booth with a dial.

That's all I have to say about this movie because I haven't watched the rest of it yet. I had to stop and write my review now, because after that ridiculous scene, nothing else matters from here on out. However, I'm still looking forward to finishing it after I press 'submit.'

A guilty pleasure

[jonschaper · 3 November 2021]

The movie starts out a bit slow. Basically we're introduced to the protagonists and find out why they are holed up in the middle of nowhere. Then the action begins when one of them sees a KKK execution in progress and intervenes. From there, you get pretty much non-stop action as the two factions battle it out.

What makes this a "horror" film instead of an "action" film is the copious amount of gore. The KKK, who are more akin to cannibal families a la Texas Chainsaw Massacre, than your usual KKK members in films are partly responsible for that gore and some of the sadism, but so are the protagonists as they quite sensibly avoid holding back while fighting a bunch of psychos who outnumber and outarm them.

And that's why I found it a guily pleasure. It doesn't have an amazing plot, or a profound message, or impressive fight scenes, or anything. But it is refreshing to watch a horror film and not have to keep thinking "WHY DIDN'T YOU MAKE SURE HE'S DEAD!!!". And, heck, it'll always fun to see any group of Klansmen get what's coming to them, and that's a major factor in making this a guilty pleasure. No woke preaching about intersectionality. No stunt casting (yes, the KKK are miraculously all white males in this one). Just good guys fighting evil racists.

It is well filmed -- no cheap digicam footage feel or anything like that. The fx are effective enough. Heck, I even like the titles which were pure Tarrantino. And I always liked a 70s rural setting for horror. And bonus points for not one single annoying teen in the film.

More Kountry Kannibals

[nogodnomasters · 1/10 · 30 June 2021]

Brandon Cobbs (Deiondre Teagle) escapes prison in Tennessee in 1970. He holds up in a run down barn with two siblings. They fight off a group of Klansmen who are also cannibals who like the taste of black people. Most of the film is the two groups fighting and shooting at each other. Not much linear plot.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity. Off screen rape?

Shaft, it ain't.

[iamtherobotman · 2/10 · 12 February 2022]

This started off not too bad...for 5 minutes, and then just fell apart.

Why did they decide to hide out in a run down barn, instead of just high tailing it out of the County/State?

The Brother, had hidden weapons in a barrel, previously, yet was surprised when he ended up with the smallest gun.

They all had weapons prior to being 'trapped' by the Klan, yet when our protagonist escaped, after having his 'delicate parts' burned with a lighter which was about 1 foot away from them, and 'saved' his brother from his torturer, he was told that the guns were back in the barrel, that his Brother had hidden them there before they got 'trapped'...By the way, you have to see the state of the Brothers wound...His arm has been cut off, and the seeping stump looks just like a Rib-eye steak. Incredible make up.

The best part for me, was when one of the Klan members got an axe thrown at him, slicing into his shoulder. He's just pulled it out. He then gets the same axe piled into his back, then slammed into his crotch, and his testicles ripped out, and he's STILL ALIVE!!! Later, during a 'Naked Gun' style shoot out(where the opposing sides are no more than 3 feet apart, but still contrive to miss eachother), he's blasted with 4, or 5 bullets from other Klan members, and is STILL ALIVE!!!

This isn't even a comedy horror, it's billed as a horror thriller. Even if it was meant to be comedy, it's not funny.

The acting is poor, the effects are poor. Everything takes place at this barn, even when it would make more sense for teh characters to move away from the barn, it still takes place there. It's just not a good film, or worth watching.

Meh

[missraziel · 1/10 · 1 November 2021]

Lame, bad acting, bad effects, everything bad, even a real 70's movie had more flair. Sheesh. Avoid this one unless you love suffering as much as I did while watching.

A Blaxploitation bloodbath

[ntj-film · 7/10 · 23 April 2021]

Three African American siblings do battle with a gang of cannibalistic KKK members. Things gets super gory. The end.

There really isn't a whole hell of a lot to this little indie, but that's the beauty, there needn't be. Sometimes it absolutely OK to consume the empty calories of pop culture and as a result be perfectly content.

The film is very well directed, adequately acted by the cast and the bloodshed expertly handled. About the only thing that bothered me was the use of modern rock music in the action scenes, but that's a minor quip.

So, if you like excessive gore, and old exploitation movies I'm sure you will find something to like here.

Hope you enjoy it.

Boring and tame

[leostriplin · 1/10 · 1 July 2022]

Plays it way too safe, this film. Something like this needs to be over the top and extreme to be enjoyable and everything seems so watered down with most of the good bits off screen or obscured. And that's not down to the very low budget, they easily could have shown alot more than what's on offer but seeing the past movies the director has made, it was inevitable this was going to turn out a dud.

Nothing worth seeing it for at all.

Git down and dirty with it!

[wjosephjorob · 7/10 · 20 April 2021]

Every now and then we get a low budget turd or gem, this time around a blaxploitation gem, a action-horror piece that take place in the 70's , about three siblings and two of them help out their younger brother who escaped from a prison down south, seeking a hideout until find out how to help their brother, they encounter a vicious KKK cult, all is not what it seem to be according to the younger brother viewing their activities in the woods, this sets off a chain of horrific events and totally nasty battle for survival between the siblings and the Klan, the director managed to pull off some pretty good gore effects and kept up the action all the way to the conclusion, I thought the acting between the siblings was pretty good as well, a gore hound we enjoy the hell out of this flick, watch this one late at night, when everybody is asleep, not for the kiddies or the squeamish.

A Blood-Soaked Family Fiesta - Thin Characters, Thick Carnage!

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 5/10 · 19 November 2023]

Story: 0.75/2 - Direction & Pace: 1.25 & 1.25/4 - Performances: 1.00/2 - Entertainment: 1.25/2

Total - 5.50/10

In the sizzling cauldron of gore-fueled escapades, "Death Ranch" emerges as a blood-soaked tale that's part gore-fest, part revenge fantasy and a smidgen of a dysfunctional family reunion. It's comparatively like a picnic with a tornado forecast-messy, unpredictable, but strangely alluring.

Picture this: a runaway convict and his kin find refuge in their dear ol' grandpa's rundown barn. But lo-and-behold, their sanctuary becomes ground zero for a KKK killing spree. Surprise, surprise! The Klan's got the unfortunate family in their crosshairs faster than you can sarcastically say "bed sheet & pillowcase." Cue the brutal torture, molestation, and all that grim jazz.

Before you label this a dissertation on character depth, let's acknowledge the obvious: The characters here are thinner than the paper-thin crust on a pizza. It wouldn't have hurt to add some meat to their bones, metaphorically speaking. However, the absence of robust character development might be a tactical move to focus on the visceral rollercoaster ahead.

Praise goes to the director for engaging in peekaboo tactics with the gruesome bits. Instead of shoving the torture scenes in our faces, they opted for a "less is more" approach. The true horror is our imagination conjures far more ghastly images than any CGI could muster.

Sure, the pacing's as wonky as a marathon runner unsure of the finish line's precise location. And that slow-mo during certain scenes is more hindrance than enhancement, particularly when it's unwittingly used during uncomfortable moments.

But ah, the saving grace-the soundtrack: In a world where low-budget flicks often sound like a cat strumming a battered guitar, "Death Ranch" surprises. It's a symphony of pleasant sorts, harmonizing chaos and tension seamlessly.

Now, the cast, bless their kind hearts, realistically is a mixed bag. Thankfully, the director decently bids farewell to the weaker links early on. Survival of the fittest, or maybe the most entertaining?

In conclusion, "Death Ranch" is akin to that spicy taco you gobble down despite knowing it'll scorch your taste buds. It's a one-time thrill ride, especially if gore is your cup of cha. This flick's self-awareness is its unique charm-it never truly takes itself seriously, endowing you with a macabre grin and maybe, just maybe, contemplating a replay when the prevailing mood for blood-soaked antics strikes again.

This movie exists only to be awesome!

[dricchezza · 9/10 · 5 September 2021]

I stumbled across this on Prime and the description of three black people running from the law and ending up on the hunting grounds of the Klan was enough to hook me. But wow, what followed was so unexpected! Cannibalism, extreme violence, bloodshed, and carnage - all the things you want in a horror movie. And even though the main protagonist was an escaped criminal, you couldn't help but pull for him to come out on top at the end. Ignore the lower rated reviews - this is pure fun and a total must see!

Better than it had business being

[deshan-78580 · 7/10 · 17 February 2022]

While the acting isn't the best and the story & characters are paperthin at best, what surprisingly makes this British low-budget gem fun are the top-notch practical gore effects, the cool Grindhouse-style cinematography & visuals, really fast pacing, good direction and writing, and a cool premise/concept.

This movie is better than it had any business being, definitely worth a look!

Terrific Pastiche

[silvio-mitsubishi · 8/10 · 2 March 2022]

Opening (and later, closing-) credits date the setting of this 2020 blaxploitation homage to the early 1970's, with clothing, transistor radio and reference to the 'new' Disneyworld to make sure we didn't miss it, but really the story is timeless. With only one car and one building on screen, this could have been anytime 1965 to the present.

Three siblings, with strong family bonds but significantly different life paths, end up at an isolated farm building, where they run into a clichéd band of Klansmen - a strong leader but weak and not too bright followers. One of the family rescues a woman (who then disappears without trace) from the Klan, and they have to fight their way out.

Not too many ideas, but some neat inversions: the bad guy throws dirt in the antihero's face; the female sibling is the most ruthless and most effective; a white man dies first and at least one black character survives to the end.

Slightly lacking in ideas, so some of the more personal violence is repeated with only slight changes - an eye bitten out after an ear earlier, two separate hands thrust into gunshot wounds - but there is enough gore and ingenuity to keep us entertained.

I wondered how many actors were involved, or whether crew members stood in. Only eight characters show their faces, while most keep hoods on. One Klansman walks like a young woman, while most never speak or do anything but shoot and turn their heads - hardly Juilliard standard. Continuity is not great, dialogue is barely comprehensible for the first twenty minutes, and some behaviours beggar belief - standing upright behind a waist-high fence to reload while being fired on? Overall, though, a terrific low-budget thriller with shocks, cringes and laughs aplenty. Well worth the 78 minutes it takes.

Campy Funny Gory

[msgigi78 · 8/10 · 7 January 2023]

Campy, funny and gory is exactly what you want from a horror film. Believable plot, good chemistry and acting between the small cast of heroes and villians. Cinematography, camera work and lighting was shot very well . The gore was well placed and just right. I loved the balance between action and dialogue scenes. Fun Saturday watch. The filmmaker was probably a fan of the Evil Dead collection ( as am I)! The best part is it runs at 76 minutos ( 1hour 16 min) which again proves that good movies don't have to be 2 plus hours (w no intermission! Could we please bring those back?) I think think this film was scored too low (please refer to Jupiter Ascending for a 4 movie rating).

Do you wanna be entertained?

[ianjrobinson-25248 · 10/10 · 19 January 2022]

If your answer is yes, and you like Grindhouse violence, watch this film. The dvd cover has a Tarantino comparison, because films like this usually do, but in this case it isn't only a marketing ploy, it's true. Tarantino films are, above everything else, always cool, and so is this.