As Certain as Death: Zombeavers stars Cortney Palm and Hutch Dano reunite for new horror film

Nine years ago, Cortney Palm and Hutch Dano starred in Zombeavers, a horror comedy that got a good amount of attention because – as the title gives away – it happened to be about zombie beavers. Now Palm and Dano have reunited for the horror film As Certain as Death, which will be receiving a VOD release in the United States on July 11th. The trailer for the film can be seen in the embed above.

The feature directorial debut of Dano, who also wrote the script, As Certain as Death has the following synopsis: Desperate to help her addict boyfriend Richard, Kayla enlists the help of her sister and friends to stage an intervention, but the first step is finding Richard. Kayla documents their search for Richard among the allies and homeless encampments of Los Angeles, finally succeeding in finding him high in an alley. With the additional help of two friends, David and Jameson, the group embarks on a trip into the mountains so Richard can detox. As each member of the group opens up about how Richard’s addiction has affected them personally, secrets are revealed and feelings exposed. When a stranger arrives, threatening not only their progress but their lives, the intervention becomes a fight for survival.

Palm and Dano are joined in the cast by Daniel Curtis Lee (Ned’s Declassified), Lindsey Shaw (Pretty Little Liars), David Lambert (The Fosters), and Guy Wilson (Breaking Bad). Shaw is the only member of the cast Dano hadn’t worked with before.

As Certain as Death was filmed in Big Bear Lake, California during the 2020 COVID lockdown. It promises to give a glimpse into the life of an addict and the affects on those closest to them before a horrific game of cat and mouse ensues.

Dano provided the following statement: “I’ve loved movies since I was a little kid. I can thank my dad for that. I
grew up watching the great acting performances of Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Richard Burton, James Dean…The minute my dad showed me their work I was obsessed. My grandfather (Royal Dano) was a huge influence. As a veteran character actor, he made a mark in the industry we rarely see today. I was 14 the first time I saw his performance in Red Badge of Courage, which in turn introduced me to great directors like John Huston, Elia Kazan and Arthur Penn.

In mid April 2020, some friends and I began tossing ideas around to attempt to be creative while in lockdown. It was mostly just a way to pass the time and not lose our minds. We couldn’t find anything that felt right, that didn’t feel like we were trying to capitalize on an already bad situation. In August, I came up with this idea of a camping trip slasher flick, that sort of evolved into As Certain as Death. I mentioned the idea to my best friend and producing partner, Brienne Austen and she got to work on logistics, budget and what looked realistic. A phone call to Daniel Curtis Lee and David Lambert brought them both on as well. As we narrowed down what we could realistically accomplish with the help of friends, the project grew. The story of As Certain as Death came out of my own experiences with drugs and alcohol. I just celebrated five years sober this year, so it was a topic that was very close to me, especially during the pandemic. The lockdown was hard on everyone but it was really hard on the people that live life sober. I know a lot of people who struggled and a lot of people lost their time. People rely on AA Meetings, fitness classes, daily routines to maintain their sobriety and that all came to a halt when COVID hit. Zoom is an amazing tool but it doesn’t replace the in person experience.”

Dano was also inspired to make a horror film because he is “a huge fan of horror movies and thrillers. I decided
to write a movie that fused together the elements of these genres with addiction at the center point that was truly reflective of that experience. Addiction affects more than the addict, and we wanted to tell that story. Getting to work with my close friends on this made it all the more fulfilling and I was honored to have so many talented people around me, both cast and crew while I directed my first film. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it.“

Does As Certain as Death sound interesting to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below. This definitely seems like a movie I would like to check out.

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