‘She Never Died’ (2019): Cannibal Vigilantism At Its Finest

Writer/director Jason Krawczyk made a name for himself in the cult genre channels with his horror comedy hit, He Never Died (read our review here). The film saw Henry Rollins (Z Nation 2017) star as a loner immortal cannibal, hiding himself from the world in order to contain his temptations to feast on human flesh. The film took the horror community by storm, and featured a wonderful blend of revenge vigilantism and fresh horror tropes.

And so Krawczyk has returned to tell a follow-up tale, She Never Died, this time only as writer under Director Audrey Cummings (Darken 2017). The film is less a direct sequel and more a spiritual successor to the first film, therefore it warrants its own separate review, devoid of comparison. She Never Died follows yet another immortal cannibal named Lacey, portrayed brilliantly by Olunike Adeliyi (Saw 3D 2010, A Christmas Horror Story 2015 – read our review here). Lacey is a drifter, basically homeless, and roams the streets Charles Bronson-style, seeking prey off which she can feed. Her victims come in the form of creeps and criminals, making Lacey’s bloodlust more acceptable.

In the beginning of the film, we watch as she saves a young woman from a stalker. Like Batman descending from the rooftops of Gotham, Lacey seemingly appears out of nowhere at the ideal moment, devouring the would-be kidnapper, and telling the young woman to run for it. It’s a great character introduction, and creates a new vigilante superhero of sorts out of Lacey. Adeliyi’s performance is gritty and stoic, and every time she appears on screen, she commands it with great power. 

Turns out, Lacey’s first victim is a member of a vile and wicked underground crime ring that produces violent snuff films for the dark web. As Lacey continues to hunt members of this crime ring, she crosses paths with a detective named Godfrey (Peter MacNeill: Open Range 2003). It would seem they’re after the same thing – Godfrey is investigating the dark web crime ring, and as he becomes aware of Lacey’s powers, the two are forced into an unexpected kinship of sorts. Lacey agrees to help Godfrey in taking out the members of the crime ring, and, in return, Godfrey offers her accommodations… and meals, of course.

The rest of the film plays out as a classic revenge thriller with a genre twist. The gore is frequent and satisfying, and Lacey is the supernatural badass avenger 2019 needs. Director Audrey Cummings asks us to buy into the concept of the script with little question, and as long as you don’t mind that you’ll like have a lot of fun. She draws spectacularly convincing performances from her cast, and makes the unbelievable story seem impossibly realistic.

She Never Died is a bold, action horror film that feels beyond appropriate for the day and age in which it’s been made. The production value and acting is of a much higher caliber than one would expect for such a small genre film, and there’s no fat to be found in this movie. From start to finish, She Never Died is a concise, high-octane work of entertainment. Check it out wherever and whenever you can. It won’t disappoint.