The Death Tour is a professional wrestling documentary that is screening at the 2024 Slamdance Film Festival. Beginning in 1988, the titular circuit encompasses the Northern Territories of Canada. A group of wrestlers go to Inuit communities that rarely get a chance to see live pro wrestling. The film examines the rigors of the trip and the toll it takes.
Professional wrestling needs two things to succeed: engaging characters and compelling stories. This is the same for documentaries about the sport. Whether produced in-house by the WWE or done by a third party, the best ones use the personalities and drama inherent to wrestling.
This is where The Death Tour falters. It has all the normal tropes of a documentary about pro wrestling, including self-doubt and tales of redemption, but none of them carry any weight. Filmmakers (Stephan Peterson and Sonya Ballantyne) give a significant amount of time to a few members of the small crew, but little is done with it. It is never bad, but there is also never enough to make it interesting.
What makes matters worse is there are different stories that would set the it apart from other wrestling documentaries. In particular, is female wrestler Sage Morin. Going by the ring name The Matriarch in order to honor her Indigenous culture, Morin is clearly loved by younger fans. She has a natural charisma that makes her and her interactions with the kids some of the most endearing parts of The Death Tour.
But when the film delves in the very real problem of the suicide rate among Indigenous youths in the Northern Territories, it feels tacked on and lacks any emotion. While it is an overriding theme, it seems to have little effect on most of the participants. The Death Tour has its moments, but it does not seem to know what message it wants to deliver.
The Slamdance Film Festival take place through January 28, 2024
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