When Transformers hit screens in 2007, then-21-year-old Megan Fox immediately became a star and looked like she’d enjoy a strong career. Matters didn’t work out the way, but 14 years later, Fox still works, and 2021’s Till Death becomes her latest effort.

After 11 years together, Emma Webster (Fox) grows apart from her controlling husband Mark (Eoin Macken). However, much to Emma’s surprise, Mark takes her away for a romantic anniversary celebration at a secluded cabin.

This takes a dark turn when Emma wakes up handcuffed to Mark’s corpse and watches him commit suicide right in front of her. With hired killers on the way to deal with her, Emma attempts to survive as she works through a bizarre plot developed by Mark himself.

Perhaps due to the tongue in cheek implications of its title or the vibe given off by the Blu-ray’s cover art, I went into Death with the belief that it’d offer a black comedy. I expected something in the Coen vibe, really.

I can’t criticize Death because I found a film different from what I anticipated. I can knock it for its lack of creativity and originality, though.

Granted, the notion of the lead character stuck with an attached corpse offers some intrigue, as it brings challenges that otherwise wouldn’t occur. Unfortunately, Death doesn’t do much with the concept, so it feels like a gimmick more than anything else.

The same goes for much of Death, as it comes across more as a story idea than a fleshed-out narrative. The film links a mix of plot points but nothing comes together in a satisfying manner.

Honestly, it seems tough to get past the inherent absurdity of the basic concept that Mark’s suicide acts as part of his revenge against Emma. Sure, the movie gives us a rationale for his willingness to kill himself, but given the way the film depicts him as a narcissist and sociopath, it doesn’t fly that he’d follow this path.

We find ourselves stuck with seemingly endless scenes in which Emma drags around her husband’s corpse, and then the movie digresses into the kind of “cat and mouse” tale we’ve seen a million times. Death does manage some thrills during its climax, as the action scenes bring reasonable impact, but they can’t overcome the inherent stupidity of the preceding hour or so.

None of these factors turn Till Death into a genuinely bad movie, mainly because the climax seems fairly well-staged. However, despite some gimmicks, it doesn’t bring anything we’ve not already seen – and seen done better.

Till Death appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie provided a mostly solid presentation.

Sharpness usually worked well. Though some interiors could feel a little iffy, the majority of the movie gave us accurate, precise visuals.

I saw no shimmering or jaggies, and edge haloes remained absent. The movie also displayed no print flaws.

Death opted for a standard – albeit subdued - amber and teal palette. These tones seemed appropriately rendered given the color choices.

Blacks appeared dark and dense, and shadows boasted good delineation. Low-light scenes seemed smooth and well-rendered. This turned into an effective transfer.

I also felt pleased with the fairly engaging DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Death. A smattering of violent scenes added zing to the proceedings, but those cropped up semi-infrequently.

Still, the soundscape used the various channels well, as the mix brought a good sense of place and ambience throughout the film. Music showed nice stereo presence, and effects meshed together well. These moved smoothly across speakers and formed a quality environment for the material.

Audio quality seemed satisfying. Music was clear and full, while effects offered accurate, dynamic information.

Speech appeared natural and concise, without edginess or other issues. The soundtrack didn’t excel but it fit the story on display.

The Making of Till Death runs six minutes, 37 seconds and includes comments from director SK Dale, producer Jeffrey Greenstein, and actors Megan Fox, Eoin Macken, Aml Ameen, Callan Mulvey and Jack Roth.

“Making” looks at story/characters and the project’s inspirations, the film’s pacing and photography and cast/performances. A few decent notes emerge but the featurette largely feels superficial.

The disc opens with ads for Girl and The Birthday Cake. No trailer for Death appears here.

As a thriller with a gimmick, Till Death shows decent potential for excitement. However, it only sporadically entertains, as it lacks the cleverness and creativity it needs. The Blu-ray comes with generally good picture and audio but it lacks substantial bonus materials. I’ve seen worse genre flicks but I’ve seen a lot better, too.