Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Co-Op and weapon kit promotional image from Treyarch and Raven Studios

    Sharing Gunsmith Builds in Black Ops 7 Is About To Get Much Easier

    08/19/2025
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL 2020: ‘Murder Bury Win’

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL 2020: ‘Murder Bury Win’

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez10/23/20204 Mins Read
Murder Bury Win
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Murder Bury Win

Written and directed by Michael Lovan, Murder Bury Win had its Texas premiere at the Austin Film Festival, which has gone virtual this year due to the ongoing pandemic. The genre-bending film stars Mikelen Walker, Erich Lane, Henry Alexander Kelly, Craig Cackowski, and Brian Slaten. In the film, three friends,  Chris (Mikelen Walker), Barry (Henry Alexander Kelly), and Adam (Erich Lane), have created a board game, the eponymous, “MURDER BURY WIN.” Drawing inspiration from one of their favorite existing games, “Murder Wall,” the trio thinks their new game has what it takes to become a bestseller on the indie charts. So, they do what any indie games do in 2020, they throw it on a crowdfunding website and wait for their idea to do the rest of the work. In this part of Murder Bury Win, you get a buddy comedy with three friends who have completely different identities and takes on the world.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Chris works in a board game store and knows the industry inside and out. Barry is mild-mannered and a stickler for rules. And Adam, well, to put it simply he’s the crazy white boy of the group with all the characteristics that come with this trope – and yet someone we all know. The film opens with the three friends playing a game on what appears to be a sound stage, planning murder. Then, it moves from a set to their dining table, and it’s revealed that they’re playing a board game. This opening and the conversation had in the films first 10 minutes take the time to let you know who each of the people are. As they dive into building their game you get to see how failure hits them all. However, when their attempt to crowdfund fails, a mysterious man makes them an offer: he will publish their game on the condition that he takes credit as the sole creator and owner.

From friendship to bad business ethics, the film pivots into a drama fueled by comedy and frustration. Then, it turns again and morphs into its final form – a dark comedy that settles into the uncomfortable ideas of creation, bad friends, and even race. Instead of just taking the deal outright, a dispute over the gaming rights happens in the mysterious man’s home and leaves the trio with a body on their hands. From that point on, the young men realize how suspiciously like murder the freak accident appears. Now, with few options remaining, they look to their game for guidance. The premise of their game? How to murder someone and get rid of the body.

Murder Bury Win

Murder Bury Win cleverly blends game and reality, not out of gimmick but out of circumstance. While the game-nature of it all will be familiar to fans of Clue and even Ready or Not, there is never a sense of repetitious plot or even a familiarity with the film. This is due in large part to the actors themselves and how the film uses it’s clearly small budget to the max.

On the former, the chemistry between our three leads is superb. Walker, Kelly, and Lane capture the complexities of friendship, its importance, and the heartbreak that happens when you realize betrayal. Additionally, Cackowski as the mysterious man is just plain skeezeball to the highest power. The way he delivers his dialogue from the moment we hear him first to his last scene makes you hate him. On the latter, the fact that the location of the film is majority centered in one cabin and the woods that surround it helps put a focus on the actors.

Murder Bury Win allows its story to shine by not pushing past its indie restrictions. While this does make some plot holes – namely in the way of Officer Dan, it also allows for excellently executed comedic moments that put the weight of the film on its stars, which they carry well.

Overall, Murder Bury Win is just pure fun. It’s hilarious in every way that it means to be and outside small gaps in the plot it makes for a fun watch for genre fans. The gore and process of disposing of a body make it a film with one goal, making its characters play a game. That’s why it works.

Murder Bury Win had its Texas premiere at Austin Film Festival October 22, 2020.

Murder Bury Win
  • 8/10
    Rating - 8/10
8/10

TL;DR

Overall, Murder Bury Win is just pure fun. It’s hilarious in every way that it means to be and outside small gaps in the plot it makes for a fun watch for genre fans. The gore and process of disposing of a body make it a film with one goal, making its characters play a game. That’s why it works.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Blood of Zeus’ Reinvigorates The Classics
Next Article REVIEW: ‘The Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited’ is one of 2020’s Best Shows
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Madelyn Cline and KJ Apa in The Map That Leads to You
8.0

REVIEW: ‘The Map That Leads To You’ Is YA Romance Done Right

08/19/2025
Lurker promotional still from MUBI
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Lurker’ Probes The Intoxication Of Fame

08/19/2025
The Knife (2025) promotional still
7.0

REVIEW: ‘The Knife’ Is Simple And Too Much At The Same Time

08/17/2025
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

08/16/2025
Fixed promotional key art from Netflix Animation
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Fixed’ Is Top-Notch Animation But Bottom Of The Barrel Comedy

08/15/2025
Denzel Washington Highest 2 Lowest
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Has A Ton Of Fun Missing It’s Own Points

08/15/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here