Film Review: They All Must Die! (1998)

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SYNOPSIS:

Three black street thugs sexually assault and torture a white woman who moves into their neighborhood.

REVIEW:

Banned due to its highly graphical rape content, “They All Must Die!” is a feature film created by director/writer Sean Weathers. The film easily falls into the extreme content category due to its rather stretched-out excruciating rape scenes that occur on screen as 3 local black street thugs inflict racially-driven torment upon new resident Wendy Baker.

Wendy Baker, a famous author for her field moves into Bedstuy Brooklyn, NY, in order to gain a closer perspective for her latest book that focuses on the streets of Harlem and its poverty inflicted residents. Upon first day she is greeted, welcomed, and then ridiculed all within the same 5 minutes. The 3 street kids that waste no time in “assuming” she will be receptive to their advances (after flinging racial slurs at her), are politely rejected as she proclaims that she has no interest. Nissan, the head of the pack, is egged on by his buddies and then laughed at when his efforts fail.

The home owner, an obsessive fan, who also assumes Wendy will fall for him is told that he is of no interest to her (Wendy, just wants to be left alone to write). Though despite moving into a bad neighborhood, she continues to jog thru the streets, work on her novel and ignore the unsafe conditions that she may have plunge into.

“They All Must Die” combines the grittiness of street driven ghetto drama with horror in the way of cruelty and constant racial flip-flopping between locals and the new white girl in town. The film wastes no time in catapulting ghetto stereotypes backed with gangster dialog that only does more damage than good. In simple form…its the case of “white girl moves into a black neighborhood” constantly under verbal abuse with sexually charged badgering from the locals. We know where most of this is going right from scene one where the 3 boys brag “how they are gonna get some of that white-snatch” and tell about it.

Director Sean Weathers does what he set out to do, which is create a disturbing film that derives from the many racial rape driven movies that have come out over the years. He further adds pain by dedicated a majority position of the film to the inevitable rape scene as the author is attacked and held down by the 3 horny locals. Where it gets its full circle resolve is in the fact that Wendy retaliates and executes each of them in cold blood. This scenario is not unlike the “I Spit of Your Grave” movies set in Harlem instead of the deep woods of redneck country. Though with a title like “They All Must Die!”, you can assume that this inevitable 3rd act will come into play.

Upon review, the listing gave no credits to the original actors, though it should considering that the lead actress who played Wendy Baker had to undergo some pretty intensive full frontal rape scenes. It was reported that the rape scene was actually the first scene shot to get maximum intensity using the event to also introduced all the actors for the first time.

While the rape and drama is a powerful event, it’s the racial hatred that seeps off the screen that makes this film feel dirtier than most. In some sense, we do see a reverse perspective as Wendy talks to her agent about the “spooks” in her neighborhood, though most of the slinging comes from the punks who believe “every” white girl is above them deserving to be raped. I have become a cinematic staple that if a white girl enters a poor black neighborhood, she is bound to be raped. “They All Must Die!” just drives this factor home. (Side note: Wendy didnt strike me as the total white girl, as the director “could of” used for the part.)

Director Sean Weathers attempts to imply that each uses each other for different purposes and that in the end all are on equal playing fields. I disagree “until” Wendy has had a chance to inflict murderous revenge on those who violated her body and dignity.

“They All Must Die!” tends to stay interesting despite its flaws and cheaply shot footage. I actually grew uncomfortable watching it, occasionally looking over my shoulder that i wasn’t “seen” watching it.

If this circle of exploration is within your viewing interest, then “They All Must Die” is a must see for your circle.

They All Must Die! (1998)