The Big Picture The Dead Thing effectively portrays the horrors of modern dating and urban life, with Blu Hunt delivering an excellent performan
The Big Picture
- The Dead Thing effectively portrays the horrors of modern dating and urban life, with Blu Hunt delivering an excellent performance that elevates the film with charisma and nuance.
- The film’s strong tone and atmosphere are impactful, but the final act leaves much to be desired.
Modern dating is the worst, a constant parade of app-swiping, new introductions, and vapid small talk that rarely seems to result in a deeper connection. At least that’s how Alex (Blu Hunt) feels as she navigates the infinite wasteland of the dating world. It’s merely a parade of useless, app-driven flings until she meets Kyle (Ben Smith-Peterson), a charmer of a man who gives Alex her first vibrant connection in some time. Kyle disappears after the pair spend a beautiful night together, seemingly off the face of the Earth, provoking a hunt for him that’s as mysterious as its consequences are odd and otherworldly. The discoveries evolve into something truly menacing, with tension that escalates well while Alex’s fate becomes dangerously entwined with Kyle’s own.
Elric Kane’s The Dead Thing packs an unsettling tone and real moments of insight into its lean runtime. It capably demonstrates the ghastly routine of life and love in the city, captured as an infinite regurgitation of identical experiences entrapping Alex like a fly in an inescapable web. Blu Hunt carries the film with nuance and gravitas (despite playing a character stuck in humdrum monotony), while Ben Smith-Peterson also delivers a strong performance. The film loses some of its careful construction as it goes along, with both the finale and certain plot trajectories not feeling quite earned. Still, The Dead Thing is nonetheless an outing worth watching.
The Dead Thing (2024)
In this neo-realist take on an Invisible Man story, a young woman trapped in meaningless connections falls for a charismatic man who harbors a dark secret. Their affair spirals into a dangerous obsession, blending modern urban legend with psychological horror.
- Release Date
- July 26, 2024
- Director
- Elric Kane
- Cast
- Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, John Karna, Katherine Hughes, Joey Millin, Brennan Mejia, Aerial Washington, Josh Marble
What is ‘The Dead Thing’ about?
Elric Kane’s The Dead Thing shows a remarkable command of tone, given that it’s the director’s first solo-directed feature. It’s moody and full of smart choices, bathing the audience in Alex’s malaise through smart cinematography and editing choices, revealing The City to be little more than purgatory for the technically living. It’s also carried considerably by Blu Hunt’s excellent performance and natural, easy charisma, which elevate every scene. Where the film falters is in an escalation that needs greater grounding, events that should feel like tragic, inevitable consequences but which, sadly, don’t. It’s a good film, and a journey worth experiencing, but there’s a coherence that’s regrettably missing from the third act, hampering a promising horror outing.
REVIEW
The Dead Thing (2024)
The Dead Thing shows a strong command of unsettling tone and a charismatic outing by Blu Hunt, but its finale needs greater care in the plotting and execution.
- Blu Hunt has an excellent screen presence as the monotony-suffering Alex, and her chemistry with Ben Smith-Petersen works well.
- Elric Kane has a skillful command of tone, giving the film and its setting an appropriately bleak and claustrophobic feeling throughout.
- Kyle’s growing obsession and antagonism aren’t adequately grounded, dampening the finale’s logic and impact.
- Alex’s fate fits the narrative’s theme, but aspects of it (along with other elements of the end) require significant audience guesswork to land.
The Dead Thing had its World Premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
Conclusion
While The Dead Thing stumbles in its final act, it remains a thought-provoking and unsettling exploration of modern dating and urban life. Blu Hunt shines as Alex, bringing a sense of nuance and gravitas to the role. Elric Kane’s direction is impressive, particularly in his command of tone and atmosphere. While the film’s conclusion is imperfect, it’s a journey worth experiencing for fans of horror and psychological thrillers.
FAQs
Q: What is The Dead Thing about?
A: The film follows Alex, a young woman trapped in meaningless connections, as she falls for a charismatic man with a dark secret.
Q: Who is the director of The Dead Thing?
A: Elric Kane is the director of The Dead Thing.
Q: What is the release date of The Dead Thing?
A: The Dead Thing was released on July 26, 2024.
Q: Who is in the cast of The Dead Thing?
A: The cast includes Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, John Karna, Katherine Hughes, Joey Millin, Brennan Mejia, Aerial Washington, and Josh Marble.
AUTHOR: The World Screen
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