Fall Is a Good Time to Die

Fall is a Good Time to Die is beautifully shot, artfully written, and exceptionally well acted with a soundtrack that I would buy today if it was available. The film is definitely a slow burn, but once the action starts rolling it is riveting. The emotion is palpable throughout the film, and I found myself drawn into it with a breathless anticipation of what was going to happen. Perhaps the most impressive thing to note about this film is that its director, Dalton Coffey, also wrote it, filmed it, edited it, and recorded the sound track to it among other things! Truly exceptional! I'm definitely looking forward to what this guy does next.

This movie should've had content warnings. I'll put them in the title. I always look for those before I rent something so I can know what to expect. I didn't see any content warnings for Fall is a Good Time to Die. Not here, nor on A-zon.

This movie has child sexual abuse/rape, (off screen). It also has child suicide, (also off screen). F-word (not sure how many times), smoking, drinking, and mild violence. A shooting is off screen.

Told in extremely sparse dialogue, this film didn't work for me at all.

Very slow, and dull pace. One-dimensional characters. The crimes were done by the antagonist, who comes off faceless and just a cliché evil bad dude. I liked the main character's boss, but he was only on for a tiny bit. Main character barely speaks. Muddled ending. Adequate background music?

Did not work for me. Your mileage may vary.

Set against the open plains of South Dakota, Fall is A Good Time To Die is a story about the weight of grief, the pull of revenge, and the silence between breaths. It's slow and deliberate-until it's not. There's reflection in every frame. Stillness in every scene. When it needs to get loud, writer/director Dalton Coffey sure sees that it does.

Through it all, Coffey's wonderful cinematography skills are on exhibition. He shows the rawness and starkness of land and people alike all in beautiful browns and tans and blues. On top of the gorgeous visual, Coffey lays down a killer soundtrack full of piano, slide guitar, and electric kicks. His music is just as masterful as his visuals. It's haunting. It's hopeful. It's all his.

Dalton Coffey doesn't waste a word or a frame. Similar to his guitar work, Coffey's minimalistic writing concludes with a big payoff. Cody might no longer be quiet. Jane might have a little bounce on her step. Yet South Dakota remains unchanged. Fall is a Good Time To Die doesn't reinvent the wheel. Dalton Coffey just rolls it slow and steady, right where it needs to go. This one deserves attention that's as wide as the South Dakota sky.