Director Chandler Balli took a modest $10,000 production budget and created a wildly imaginative Western whodunit in his latest feature, Death After Dusk. Set in a small town in Texas at the turn of the 19th Century, Death After Dusk tells the story of a gang of bounty hunters tasked with capturing a local serial killer. Tensions rise within the group as they narrow in on their target, second-guessing friend for foe. When everyone has a gun, and everyone is a suspect, it’s hard to know who to trust.

Best Friends VS Bounty Hunters

The unlucky few who have had run-ins with Short (Addison Chapman) and Skinny (Chandler Balli)–those who had survived to tell their tale, that is–would consider the duo angels of death. Short and Skinny are experienced bounty hunters who answer the call whenever justice is to be served or, a cash reward is offered. Recently, though, Skinny experiences a sort of existential crisis and considers quitting bounty-hunting for good. His internal struggle centers around conflicting beliefs about religion, mortality, and death. Short, being the understanding friend he is, accepts Skinny’s resignation. For a time, they move on with their life. Skinny gets married and enjoys a quiet life away from death’s doorstep. However, his peace doesn’t last long. Skinny’s wife faces an untimely death which leaves Skinny heartbroken, mourning, and vengeful. He now puts his morals aside and vows to return to bounty hunting again.

Watch the Death After Dusk trailer here.

Skinny’s return to the business couldn’t have come at a better time, as the desolate town of Buck Creek urgently needs his services. There is a murderer on the loose and he needs to be stopped. The Mayor of Buck Creek assembles a super pack of nine bounty hunters, Short and Skinny included, to capture this evil and elusive serial killer who has been tormenting residents of the town for weeks. The promise of a reward of $10k dead, and $25k alive is a huge incentive. The intention is for all the bounty hunters to work together to capture the killer, but with a life-changing amount of money on the line, it ends up being every man and woman for themselves.

If Quentin Tarantino directed Knives Out

Death After Dusk has the same energy as if Quentin Tarantino had directed Knives Out. There is no shortage of possibilities regarding motive and suspect, which makes for an interactive and fun viewing experience. Paying homage to the look of classic Western films, Death After Dusk has a distinct sepia tone and familiar cowboy-inspired score. Visually, the film excels in setting up the universe of Buck Creek, with the set design, art direction, locations, and VFX all solidly fine-tuned. The film’s slick script includes comedic zingers and self-aware camera movements that set Death After Dusk apart from other modern Westerns.

Takeaway

Death After Dusk is a large-scale production that director Chandler Balli tackles with confidence and grit. From its large cast of actors to battling 100-degree heat throughout their two-week shoot, this film was no small feat. “It’s a deeply personal journey,” he says. “A testament to my love for filmmaking.” Running nearly two hours and twenty minutes long, Death After Dusk is an action-packed murder mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end.