Few things can be as soul-crushing as online dating. And just a quick heads-up, that "dating" part is pronounced like "dead thing" in The Dead Thing, which you might also know to be a romantic horror with a deadly case of the supernatural hidden deep down in its bio. Directed by Elric Kane, and written by Webb Wilcoxen and Kane, the film stars Blu Hunt as Alex, a 20-something office worker living in Los Angeles. Terminally addicted to dating guys without much significance after matching with them on a dating app, Alex's groove is shaken up when he meets up with Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen), a straightforward yet charming man with whom she shares a spellbinding night together. But in the next few days, Kyle seems to have completely ghosted her, and when she finally confronts him and discovers his supernatural secret, it leads Alex down a rabbit hole with dangerous consequences.
Since you're entering the horror sphere, although in a rather understated way in the first half of the movie, you probably won't be shocked by the specific supernatural element lurking behind these characters when we get there. But what's really important is that Kane and Wilcoxen have found a neat little premise to screw with, using modern, melancholy and enigmatic building blocks to dig into loneliness, obsession and abusive relationships. What makes that conjunction work is the overall gloomy mood that Kane is able to create, even if it often gets dangerously close to resembling a mood board more than a film. Still, there's something comfortable and beguiling in the air for the most part, which keeps you engaged enough in Alex's journey as she unlocks things within her when it comes to her sexuality, maturity and boundaries that she's clearly wrestling with in the beginning.
That isn't to say that the journey to those revelations or the lowkey horror payoffs is always as interesting as it should—the cast and crew certainly have aspects to improve upon as they continue on in their careers. Kane's focus on moodiness and screenshot-worthy imagery (cinematography by Iona Vasile) does overshadow blocking and stage direction, which results in several clumsy scenes and a static presentation of some of the drama between the characters. Partly related to this, it's also notable that Smith-Petersen and occasional supporting players aren't able to match and challenge the intensity and emotional range that Hunt brings into The Dead Thing in the lead role, leaving her to do much of the heavy lifting in most scenes. Hunt does portray Alex's apathy and her slowly losing control over this new relationship quite deftly, but she doesn't exactly have the support system to hold her up consistently.
What remains is a funereal, slightly uneven, but mostly satisfying story of doomed romance and the aftershocks that haunt these characters afterwards. And next time when a guy says to you that there's no reason to talk, you better have your running shoes on.
Smileys: Tone, premise
Frowneys: Some issues with directing and acting
You can probably expect a lawsuit for that Deadpool cameo.
3.0/5
Where to watch:
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