Never Die Alone Movie Review:


Based off of the novel by cult writer Donald Goines, Never Die Alone is an implausible and misleading film that tries to be something of a poetic tragedy.

King David (DMX) is a ruthless and powerful drug lord that has return to his hometown streets to find redemption and make things right. While trying to pay off his last debt to crime boss Moon (Clifton Powell), David is stabbed and left for dead. However, he does not die alone, as a young hopeful writer named Paul (David Arquette) attempts to get him to the hospital before he passes. Left behind as David’s benefactor, Paul discovers a series of audiotapes that have David preachingly narrating the chapters of life. Told through flashbacks, the rise and fall of the street gangster becomes reflective of the forceful and violent life he led. Wanting to piece together a story of who David was and why he died becomes more and more dangerous for Paul, as David’s past enemies are in pursuit of the writer, who witnessed his murder and begins to learn the secrets of his legacy.

Director Ernest Dickerson shot this film in the style of film noir, with saturated colors and obtuse camera angles. Though the visuals of the film have a certain essence to them, the story itself is lame and the characters are as cliched as gets. By showing the life of a street gangster, this film is obviously very gritty and bloody. Between Dickerson and screenwriter James Gibson’s character depictions, this film really becomes pointless. King David is as raw and twisted as any stereotypical crimelord and there is no turning point of him trying to make things right, even though we are supposed to believe that is why he dies. After thirty minutes into the film, one will not care at all who David or any of the other characters are, or what will happen to them. The atmosphere of the crime world is grasp effectively, but everything else seems reluctant to an audience that is supposed to be sympathetic.

Donald Goines has been hailed as an urban type of Shakespeare through the writing in his powerful novels, which where reminiscent of his experiences on the streets and in prison. Never Die Alone might have been a captivating novel, but as a film it is just a disaster. Dickerson himself made a better film of this nature in the past with Juice, but with Never Die Alone it seems that he was trying to hammer a message home even though he never connects at all with his audience.

The film becomes a tiresome bore, even though it is less than 90 minutes long. It is like how many times do we have to see a bloody shootout, aggressive drug use, another overdose, rough sex, and unconventional actors trying to deliver effective work. The film is also poorly staged and edited. Such as after a sex scene, deodorant streaks can be seen under DMX’s armpits.

Rapper DMX’s voice-over narration gets weary quick in the film and his performance as King David is nowhere near persuasive or contrite. As Paul, David Arquette garners wide eyes throughout the film, but does not deliver much else. Barbershop’s talented Michael Ealy does what he can as David’s slayer Mike, but the role offers hardly anything for him to sink his teeth into.

Never Die Alone wants to be a dark and abrasive tragedy, but it is not a tragedy due to no feeling or accountability towards it characters. It is as if the film and character’s crudeness goes past a point to where you can find yourself rooting for them. Full of awful choices and stereotypes, Never Die Alone’s theatrical run should be a quick trip to the grave.

Grade: D

Joseph Tucker

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