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Action drama

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back (2018): Cast, Ratings & Box Office

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back (2018) movie poster

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back is a 2018 action drama directed by Tom Edmunds, starring Aneurin Barnard as William, Tom Wilkinson and Freya Mavor. It runs 1 hour 30 minutes and earned $839,568 worldwide. Critics gave it 52% on Rotten Tomatoes and 38 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.3/10.

IMDb rating
6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes
52%
worldwide gross
$839.6K
Echo Score
61
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Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back (2018) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 30m (90 min)
Director
Tom Edmunds
Genres
Action , Drama , Comedy
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back About?

The premise of Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Haunted by personal struggles, William hires seasoned hitman Leslie to kill him, with a guarantee of a full refund if the job isn't completed within a week. As the deadline approaches, William unexpectedly begins to reconsider his decision, and his reasons for wanting to die start to return. This forces a tense and dangerous game of cat and mouse between William and Leslie, who have very different goals in mind.

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • attempted suicide
  • hitman
  • death wish
  • assassin
  • writer
  • suicidal
  • suicidal man
  • suicide attempt
  • depression
  • hired killer
  • f word
  • heavy rain
+38 more
  • downpour
  • old man
  • storm
  • business card
  • camera shot of feet
  • boat
  • ship
  • jumping off a bridge
  • attempted suicide by jumping
  • attempted suicide by jumping from height
  • lifeguard
  • nihilist
  • nihilism
  • swimming pool
  • eating a banana
  • aspiring writer
  • wannabe writer
  • reference to albert camus
  • albert camus quotation
  • quoting albert camus
  • drawing
  • letter
  • manuscript
  • reading a letter
  • telephone call
  • criminal
  • attempted suicide by hanging
  • flashback
  • taking a pill
  • vomiting
  • man in a bathtub
  • ambulance
  • hit by a car
  • hit by an ambulance
  • paramedic
  • xenophobic remark
  • dark humor
  • contract
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Cast & crew

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back Cast & Characters

Aneurin Barnard leads the cast as William, with Tom Wilkinson as Leslie and Freya Mavor as Ellie. Directed by Tom Edmunds; 12 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back

· 8 more
Ratings

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back 52% on Rotten Tomatoes and 38 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.3/10. Our Echo Score gives it 61/100, strongest in character & emotion (85) and weakest in story & flow (45).

61 /100

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back Echo Score Breakdown

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back presents a blend of notable performances and uneven execution. In terms of art and craft, the direction’s inconsistent tone and pacing challenges limit visual cohesion. When it comes to character and emotion, the ensemble delivers nuanced chemistry that enriches the narrative. Story and flow suffer from tortuous plotting and sporadic engagement despite moments of dark humor originality. The sensory design is serviceable but never striking, while the film offers modest rewatch appeal for those drawn to its quirky style. Overall, the film feels uneven yet intermittently rewarding.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 45

    In terms of art and craft, the film’s direction and visual style exhibit inconsistency that hampers its overall cohesion. Critics noted a drab and uneven tone, while first-time direction struggled to balance farcical elements with sentimentality. Moments of easy-going visual flair arise but are undercut by mismatched stylistic shifts. Ultimately, the execution of cinematography and production design feels uneven and fails to establish a coherent visual identity.

  • Character & Emotion 85

    In terms of character and emotion, the ensemble cast delivers engaging performances that anchor the film. Tom Wilkinson and Aneurin Barnard exhibit strong chemistry, infusing their interactions with warmth and understated humor. Multiple reviewers praised the depth and empathy conveyed by the leads, noting moments of genuine emotional resonance. Concluding on character depth, the performances consistently elevate the material, providing the film’s most compelling element.

  • Story & Flow 45

    In terms of story and flow, the plot struggles with coherence and pacing throughout the film. Critics pointed to tortuous plotting and sub–sitcom jokes that undermine narrative momentum, and some reviewers found key developments unmemorable or overly sentimental. While moments of dark humor and originality emerge, they are insufficient to offset uneven engagement. Overall, the storytelling feels inconsistent and often detracts from the film’s thematic intentions.

  • Sensory Experience 60

    In terms of sensory experience, the film delivers a serviceable but unremarkable audio–visual presentation. The musical score and sound design provide functional support without distinguishing memorable themes, and the visual style maintains a consistent but subdued color palette. Although moments of easy–going cinematic flair appear, they are too sporadic to create lasting impact. Overall, the sensory elements support the narrative adequately but do not significantly elevate the viewing experience.

  • Rewatch Factor 70

    In terms of rewatch factor, the film offers moderate replay value primarily for viewers drawn to its dark comedic tone. Enthusiastic audience responses highlight the film’s witty dialogue and strong chemistry, noting continued enjoyment on subsequent viewings. However, uneven storytelling and stylistic inconsistencies temper the desire for repeated watches among broader audiences. Ultimately, the film maintains modest lasting appeal, rewarding those who appreciate its unique blend of humor and sentiment.

Plot

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back Plot Summary

What happens in Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The movie opens with William, who is precariously perched on the ledge of a bridge, contemplating the act of jumping. Suddenly startled by the unexpected presence of a stranger, Leslie O’Neal, William brushes him off, insisting he doesn’t need help. Undeterred, Leslie hands William a card, hinting at his profession. In a desperate moment, William shuts his eyes and leaps, only to crash through the roof of a nearby party boat, miraculously surviving.

Full summary

The whole story of Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back Box Office

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back grossed $839,568 worldwide.

2018 box office

Worldwide gross

$839.6K

International
$839.6K
Videos

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back Trailers & Videos

5 videos: 1 trailer, 1 teaser and 3 clips.

UK Trailer
  • Teaser Teaser Trailer
  • Clip Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back) / Exclusive Clip 1 'Call it Off'
  • Clip Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back) / Exclusive Clip 2 'The Angel of Death'
  • Clip Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back) / Exclusive Clip 3 'You're Done'
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is William's profession at the beginning of the movie?

Details

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back Also Known As

19 alternative titles, including “Morto tra una settimana (O ti ridiamo i soldi)” and “Muerto en una Semana (o le devolvemos su dinero)”.

Also known as
  • Morto tra una settimana (O ti ridiamo i soldi)
  • Muerto en una Semana (o le devolvemos su dinero)
  • Śmierć gwarantowana
  • 데드 위크 인생마감 7일전
  • Morto tra una settimana... O ti ridiamo i soldi
  • Bérgyilkost fogadtam
  • 一週斃命:不死退費
  • Вы умрете, или мы вернем вам деньги
  • Dead in a Week (oder Geld zurück)
  • Кілер з гарантією
  • Умираш до седмица (или ти връщаме парите)
  • Śmierć gwarantowana (albo zwrot pieniędzy)
+7 more
  • Мртав за недељу дана: Или враћамо новац
  • 一周不死,全额退款
  • Muerto en una semana
  • Garantili Ölüm: Yoksa Paran İade
  • 데드 위크: 인생마감 7일전
  • やっぱり契約破棄していいですか!?
  • Mort en una setmana (o li tornem els diners)

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FAQ

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back FAQ: Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back?

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back runs 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes).

When was Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back released?

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back was released on November 30, 2018.

Who directed Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back?

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back was directed by Tom Edmunds.

Who is in the cast of Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back?

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back stars Aneurin Barnard as William, Tom Wilkinson as Leslie and Freya Mavor as Ellie, among 12 credited actors.

How much did Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back make at the box office?

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back grossed $839,568 worldwide.

How is Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back rated?

Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back has 6.3/10 on IMDb, 52% on Rotten Tomatoes, 38 on Metacritic and 63% on TMDB.

Does Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back have a post-credit scene?

No. Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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