On your wedding day, the vows are promises you make to each other. Normally they’re of the “love and hold and cherish until death do we part” variety, but some couples like to get even more personal. That’s the case with our two lovebirds Chance (Chris Chalk) and Grace (K.D. Chalk). We open on the happy couple getting married and then fast forward a year later as they head to a friend’s country house to celebrate their anniversary and also say goodbye as they plan to move across the country. 

The celebration weekend is being hosted by their friends Mila (Cesa Pleder) and Remy (Eden Marryshow). Mila is the token white girl in the Black group and some of them treat her as such. Especially Stacey (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) and her husband Doug (Byron Bronson). The one couple to show her kindness are the final pairing of Laila (Natalie Woolams-Torres) and Kit (Chantal NChako), though that might just be because Mila and Kit are having an affair. And of course Kit’s expecting fiance is none the wiser.

As everyone arrives we start to see that the friend group may not be as solid as they appear. It also appears that Grace is the glue holding them all together and after an accident we see that out of her presence, things start to run amok. One by one the friends are killed off in frightening ways, though not without cause. After each offing, a package is left with an item and a note that exposes the secrets of the falling friend. 

 Our Deadly Vows is how you do low budget right! They understood their limitations and made up for it with a clever story, excellent actors, engaging dialogue and a lot of the violence was left up to the imagination of the viewer, which – when done well, can be extremely effective. I was left reeling, wondering who was next and why all of this was happening. Even when I figured out who the killer was, I was still blown away by the “why?” of it all. The movie was truly a thrill ride from start to finish. 

It’s interesting seeing more Black stories in the horror space. From Jordan Peele’s Get Out to the newest offering, a comedy horror called The Blackening, it feels like Black creators are reclaiming and redefining the horror drama. One where there are simply too many Blackfolk to all die first! This means that today’s Black actors and filmmakers can make Noir Horror on their own terms and its outcome is just as thrilling as the effort. 

Written, directed and starring Chris Chalk, Our Deadly Vows appears to be a labor of love. A lot of thought went into crafting a story full of secrets, lies, twists and red herrings that was still engaging. Most of the characters we only meet for a few moments, but it’s enough to become invested in their presence. You immediately want to know what’s going on with them, and everyone is a suspect. 

One thing the script and story does well is present this group as being tied together by very thin strings. Some of them love each other and some of them loathe each other while some are just plain frenemies. The discussions in these kinds of groups are often extremely interesting and volatile. If one thing is said the wrong way, it can forever shift the dynamics of the group. That theme is at play in the film beautifully. Chance warns Grace about her friends and Grace laughs that Chance only has one friend… kinda. Chance is fine with this and would rather have one friend than friends who don’t feed you back. 

When we see the way Grace is pulled in and out of her friend’s drama, it becomes evident that Chase’s critique might have some weight to it. It’s a great way of showing and not telling that works. K.D. Chalk is excellent as Grace and brought a verite to the role. Chris and K.D. are a married couple so their chemistry is naturally electric and lived in. Together they help to elevate what could have been a boring low-budget horror into something that will have you discussing and maybe re-examining the friend group.

Our Deadly Vows was released into select theaters July 1st, and will be available OnDemand on August 1st. I highly recommend checking out this Noir thriller.