Till Death (2021)

This straightforward romp focuses its attention on its cunning and no-nonsense scream queen. And what Fox lacks in dramatic prowess, she makes up for in pure, wicked magnetism.

In spite of its icy backdrop, the part home-invasion chiller, part murder-mystery Till Death could prove to be the actual summer movie you’ve been craving for a while: undemanding, a little silly, but a thoroughly engrossing and handsomely paced edge-of-your seat experience all the same.

This thriller plays, with realistic real-time problem-solving, melodramatic near-misses, violence and suspense. We fear for the heroine, even if she’s not nobly heroic, and fret over her strength and cunning even as her resolve never wavers.

Even as the twists and turns get ever more preposterous . . . Dale’s direction and Fox’s commitment go a long way toward making Till Death a glossy, entertaining lark. Just maybe not one with anything of substance to say about marriage as its cheeky title suggests.

The final result is about as much of a time-passer one could make with this script and what must have been a small budget.