In a movie titled "Death and Cremation", you might rightfully expect to see quite a few roaring fires. Alas, this low budget attempt at horror has barely a flicker. A couple puffs of smoke is about all you get. You also get a story that is woefully underdeveloped. Nothing is explained beyond the obviously deranged funeral director (Brad Dourif), seeking to barbecue anyone who has wronged him. Dourif could play this part in his sleep. Unfortunately the rest of the cast is not quite so polished. Another weakness is the constant closeups, which become nothing more than a damn annoyance. Other than Dourif's performance, the film is completely forgettable. - MERK

From Peter Pan to a bullied outcast, Jeremy Sumpter continues to show his tremendous versatility as an actor in Death & Cremation. This cast was the whole reason I wanted to see this movie, but unfortunately it falls well short of my expectations. Stanley (Brad Dourif) is a loner and a serial killer who runs the perfect business for getting rid of evidence, a crematorium. He's a lonely man and nothing exciting happens to him until a loner named Jared (Sumpter) starts working for him. This film tries very hard to be something it's not and that's creepy. Death & Cremation isn't about blood and gore, but rather moves very slowly and methodically in order to try and freak us out, but sadly it doesn't. Stanley and Jared aren't guys you're going to be scared of, more like two guys you'd like to hang out with and that's the problem. The audience can relate to them and isn't scared of them at all. That being the case this film should have gone the other way and been extremely bloody and disturbing, but it's not that either. The story is bland and the movie is slow, but the cast is amazing. Brad Dourif plays a psychopath better than anyone and it really wouldn't surprise me if he is in fact a serial killer. Here he's teamed with one of my absolute favorite actors, who is also superb, but they're giving their all in a slow, sloppy film, that just doesn't cut it.

Death and Cremation is the story of a embittered teenage outcast who finds an unlikely friend in the owner and operator of Stanley Cremations. Stanley, it would seem, likes to heat up his oven to rid the town of bullies.The movie, made for cable, is quite well made. As with any movie you'll be asked to excuse a few logic gaps and enjoy the ride. It isn't a new thing for a movie to ask you to sympathize with a killer but this one, at least from this reviewer's point of view, does well in that respect.Brad Dourif, a veteran character actor with an impressive resume, is given the starring role and hits it out of the park! Dourif has never been insincere in his performances and this is no exception. The young actor playing his protégé was quite good, as well.Try to catch this one! If you're a purist, however, the DVD is pan and scan.

I like movies that make you become more aware of how we treat strangers. However! I felt that this movie got a bit silly and cliché as far as it's portrayal of "popularity" or the actions that popular people take. Also, The main kid that is supposed to represent a misfit social outcast pretty much looks like the kid that is suppose to represent a frat boy popular guy at his high school. Same physique pretty much, just black nail polish and a "Disturbed" T-shirt (a mainstream band that would make you look "cool" according to most high school students). It would have been more believable had the main misfit kid looked more like an overweight, shy introvert. I know Brad Dourif calls himself a "movie whore" and he will be in pretty much anything if he feels like it. I've fallen for him so many times (i.e. The Fading of the Cries movie, way more boring than this believe it or not) because I will watch anything he is in. This movie is worth it just because of his acting. I love the ending. Someone put in a previous review said that they felt it ended rather abruptly due to the movie makers having no more money...I really feel that that reviewer totally missed the point of this movie and is a good example of a "victim".