The Dead Thing follows a young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections who falls in love with a charismatic and sensitive man that hides a dark secret.
While other films may fall flat in the opening moments, The Dead Thing gets off to a terrific start. It begins very cyclically, which makes the chemistry between Blu Hunt’s Alex and Ben Smith-Petersen’s Kyle all the more believable when it kicks in. The Dead Thing really takes its time diving into Alex’s personna, prior to the true plot kicking in at about the 30-minute mark.
The movie features a pair of solid performances from Hunt and Smith-Petersen. Hunt is able to express an array of emotions, while Smith-Petersen is more one-toned and mysterious. While not onscreen for long, John Karna’s presence heightens each scene that he is in as well.
The Dead Thing has serious pacing issues. It takes its time moving into the central plot, and once it does… the film goes nowhere. Each minute that passed left me more confused, as a lot of the movie is directionless. It goes through a shifting of perspectives on numerous occasions, but rather than providing answers, it ultimately just raises more questions.
This utilizes a horror approach in trying to analyze the dating culture in America and toxic relationships. The film explores the never-ending cycle that can occur on dating sites, as people seemingly become dead inside the harder that they try to find connection with others. While this thought is interesting, The Dead Thing never fully dives into these themes or the main concept itself. The end result feels slightly lifeless and half-baked. The film’s intrigue is at its highest over the first 30 minutes, and it slowly dwindles as the runtime progresses.
The Dead Thing features an interesting central premise, but it doesn’t do much of anything with it. Rather than developing an engaging story, it goes metaphor-heavy — beating the audience over the head at times. The film itself doesn’t live up to the topics and themes that are explored.
Rating: 2 out of 5
