“I’m getting on that plane . . . bye.” With that sentence, Meagan Mullen begins her new life on the east coast to find a new life for herself. It doesn’t go as planned. From the highs of moving into a new place and the horrors of what she discovers, The Death of April is the video blog that remains of her story.
Directed by Ruben Rodriguez (who does some interesting things here with the found footage subgenre, even if it doesn’t always come together) and starring Katarina Hughes in the role of Miss Mullen, The Death of April documents Maggie’s journey from hope to horror as weird shit begins to happen in her new place - and it is all caught on film thanks to an ordinary webcam.
The film, in order to build momentum and strike at our emotions, cuts back and forth between Maggie’s family and friends and highlights their thoughts on her growing up and eventually leaving them and so on. They are a close knit bunch it seems and what happens to her has shook them to the core and it all comes across like your typical episode of 20/20, where a murder has taken place. That’s the goal, right?
And, at first, things seem perfectly normal for Maggie. Life is full of ups and downs, you know? Thankfully, she keeps in touch with her friends and family through a video blog. As her entries (and her life) become more complex and emotional, strange things begin to happen in her room . . . and that webcam captures all of it. This is the found footage part of the movie.
But that footage is one you have to wait for, which makes this found footage entry a bit peculiar. There is little to no atmosphere, leaving most of the drama to the talking heads which dominate the first 3/4s of the movie. It is a bold choice, for sure and the horror is there as the mystery of a dead girl thickens. Yet, the horror is second fiddle to the drama. You just have to wait for it which will probably turn off a lot of viewers, eager for the jumpscares and whatnot.
Told primarily from the point of view of an ordinary wireless webcam, The Death of April eventually documents the unsettling activity in an otherwise average girl's bedroom - and the mysteries that surround it. There’s a townhouse she’s just moved into, yet the twist that comes is an unexpected one as this found footage tale goes the route of Cold Case Files and comes off with an unexpected ending.
The Death of April also stars Amy Rutledge, Stephanie Domini, Paulina Grochala and Chelsea Clark. It will be released December 9 on digital platforms WORLDWIDE from Terror Films. This horror entry, while not perfect, pulls off some interesting choices for those seeking a bit more mystery in their found footage phenoms. I’m rounding up on this one for the average.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 90 mins
Director: Ruben Rodriguez
Writer: Ruben Rodriguez
Cast: Amy Rutledge; Stephanie Domini; Katarina Hughes
Genre: Horror | Mystery
Tagline: It should have remained a mystery.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Terror Films
Official Site:
Release Date: December 9, 2022
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Meagan Mullen, freshly moved into her East coast home, keeps in touch with her friends and family through a video blog. As her entries (and her life) become more complex and emotional, strange things begin to happen in her apartment and the camera captures all of it.
