Tension Ferments Beneath

Read Time:5 Minute, 19 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Dead On The Vine
–

Genre: Thriller
Year Released: 2022, Dark Arts Entertainment DVD 2025
Runtime: 1h 27m
Director(s): Mark A.C. Brown
Writer(s): Mark A.C. Brown
Cast: David Whitney, Tom Sawyer, Victoria Johnston, Shereener Browne, Kate Robbins, Eddie Arnold, Thea Balich
Where to Watch: Available May 13, 2025, order your copy here: www.mvdshop.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: There’s a unique kind of tension when a film builds its story around characters who don’t trust each other, stuck in a place too quiet to ignore what’s simmering beneath the surface. DEAD ON THE VINE finds its footing in that discomfort, using a simple scenario—a roadside stop gone awry—and turning it into a slow unraveling of secrets, suspicions, and forced civility. It's not the kind of thriller that chases big reveals; instead, it thrives on watching tension bubble in real time, daring the audience to figure out who’s bluffing and who’s dangerous.

Set against a remote countryside vineyard that doubles as a modest hotel, the film captures a moment of collision between two sets of strangers: Ellis and Drayton, who stop in after a medical scare derails their trip, and Joni and Cora, the couple running the place. What begins as awkward hospitality turns increasingly volatile as tensions build, suspicions take root, and neither side can tell if they’re being honest or playing a game. The claustrophobic nature of the setting works in the film’s favor—there’s nowhere to go, no easy out, and the surroundings are too peaceful to be trusted.

Director Mark A.C. Brown makes the most of his location, focusing not on spectacle but mood. This isn’t a flashy thriller loaded with action or horror-style jump scares. Instead, Brown leans on escalating discomfort, which grows out of too many glances that last a second too long, and silences that say more than the dialogue. This project was born out of pandemic-era creativity, using the forced isolation to build a narrative that feels naturally contained rather than restrained by circumstance.

What helps this work is the cast’s ability to communicate tension without overdoing it. David Whitney as Ellis holds things close to the chest, suggesting just enough unease to keep you wondering if he’s calculating or cautious. His counterpart, Tom Sawyer’s Drayton, moves with less control—there’s something more reactive about his presence, as if his instability might become a wildcard. As for Joni and Cora, portrayed by Victoria Johnston and Shereener Browne, their early warmth gives way to hesitation and then to fear. It’s a gradual shift that feels believable, and their transition from gracious hosts to reluctant participants brings welcome layers to the story. Kate Robbins also makes a memorable entrance later, delivering a needed energy shift with humor that cuts through the dread without softening the stakes.

One of the more interesting tonal choices here is the inclusion of humor, which is dark at times. While it would’ve been easy to play everything entirely straight, the moments of levity complicate the story rather than dilute it. It doesn’t feel like the film’s trying to be funny—it’s more that, in extreme situations, absurdity creeps in whether you invite it or not. Robbins’ character exemplifies this, breaking through the building tension with observations that are both amusing and unsettlingly accurate.

That said, not everything lands with the same sharpness. Some sequences linger longer than they need to, especially in the middle act. Conversations that start interesting occasionally lose momentum, and the tension occasionally plateaus when it should keep rising. Tightening those beats strengthened the pacing without losing the introspective tone.

The film's greatest strength is its refusal to over-explain. It trusts the audience to notice the behavior shifts, questioning the characters' motives without needing flashbacks or exposition dumps. Doing so builds a psychological puzzle where the pieces are constantly shifting. The characters rarely appear to be what they seem to be, and their decisions are rooted in fear, guilt, and survival, not plot convenience. That ambiguity can be frustrating for viewers wanting clean resolutions, but it’s also one of the film’s most honest elements. Life doesn’t always wrap up cleanly, and neither do the dynamics in this story.

As a small-scale production made during a global pandemic, it’s a testament to what can be accomplished with limited resources and a clear vision. The film makes its space work, uses its actors wisely, and aims for something more reflective than reactive. It doesn’t always hit every target it sets up. Still, the parts that do land show a director interested in people more than plot, and in behavior more than twists, for viewers looking for a character-driven thriller that simmers rather than explodes, DEAD ON THE VINE offers a worthwhile experience. Its strengths lie in mood, restraint, and tension that builds slowly until there’s no turning back.

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[photo courtesy of DARK ARTS ENTERTAINMENT, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]

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