‘She Never Died’ (2019): A fantastic, feminist horror comedy (review)

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2015’s “He Never Died” horror-comedy follows Jack (Henry Rollins) as an immortal cannibal outcast. Its spiritual sister sequel, 2019 Audrey Cummings-directed “She Never Died” abides by a similar plot. But character substitutions including swapping Lacey (Olunike Adeliyi) for Jack, as well as subverting several common tropes, makes “She Never Died” delightfully witty.

A woman strolls down the street while being stalked by a man who grabs her before he’s wrestled away by a shadowy figure. “You should go,” a gruff voice warns the lady. Cut to Detective Charles Godfrey (Peter MacNeill) stakes out suspect Terrance (Noah Dalton Danby), a suspect in a human trafficking case. The routine stakeout goes south when Lacey enters the building, emerging moments later with a gunshot wound to the forehead but miraculously alive and well.

Godfrey seeks out Lacey who initially urges him to leave her alone. Lacey benefits from immortality. Yet, her abilities come with a price: a never-ending hunger for human flesh, giving an entirely new meaning to finger food. However, Godfrey concocts a plan to feed Lacey information on Terrance’s syndicate. It’s a symbiotic relationship where Lacey dines on a string of baddies, while Godfrey watches Terrance’s empire crumble.

While seeking out one of Terrance’s goons, Lacey discovers a woman, Suzzie (Kiana Madeira) handcuffed to a bed. After being rescued by Lacey, Suzzie, her curiosity piqued, tags along shadowing Lacey. This leads to an epic showdown with the misfit team of Lacey, Suzzie, and Godfrey going up against Terrance and his sister Janice (Katie Messina).

“She Never Died” is refreshingly comedic and quirky. Lacey, an immortal cannibal who dines on criminals, is a unique antihero. There’s a religious subtext, with Lacey revealing that her name is actually Lilith, and showing off a pair of deep scars on her back which appear to be clipped wings. Godfrey, an aging detective, offers a haggard yet jovial sentiment. And Suzzie is the overly-eager initially unwanted sidekick proving surprisingly competent in the third act. Adeliyi plays Lacey perfectly, a self-imposed outcast with a no-nonsense streak. Suzzie is charming, particularly in her candid interactions with Lacey or when rehearsing how to ask Lacey to hang out while alone in the bathroom.

A sort of “Get Out” story arc presents itself with Janice and Terrance’s crime syndicate. While Janice handles the human trafficking portion of their business venture, Terrance concentrates on pushing product. What’s more, the pair are in cahoots with law enforcement. Unfortunately, this white-collar crime subplot proves underdeveloped. Similarly, the ending apparently sets up a sequel.

Still, “She Never Died” does subvert several tropes. For instance, Godfrey looks at a picture of his daughter from her youth, and while it may appear she was kidnapped or killed earlier, that’s not quite the case. Plus, watching Lacey, an unassuming woman plow through tough gangsters is an utter treat. Overall, “She Never Died” is a fantastic, feminist horror-comedy. It’s never really scary, nor does it try or need to be. Instead, it rides on its ragtag team of characters, and superb fight scenes dominated by Olunike.