The Dead Thing

Alex (Blu Hunt) is in a rut of dull unstimulating job with her only escape bars and one-night stands. It’s become a routine that she barely considers or questions.

That is until she meets Kyle (Ben Smith-Peterson) on her fast-date scrolling ap. While by no means a charmer they strike up a rapport that Alex’s instinct tells her that it could go longer than the one night.

Kyle however seems to have other ideas as he ignores her messages. Alex eventually gives up and returns to her routine when on date she spots Kyle, with another woman, and follows them. From there she does some digging on Kyle who after they are reacquainted is now more on Alex’s wavelength. Fun and fulfilling at first it doesn’t take long for secrets to be uncovered leading to a spiral of obsession and violence.

Some of the horror in The Dead Thing, directed by Elric Kane, cowritten with Webb Wilcoxen, is the drudgery of everyday life. People drifting in and out of situations with little to sustain them than scrolling social media, booze and sex. Trapped minds uninspired by their surroundings. It’s something that many city dwellers will recognise, the routine is something of a safe though mind-numbing cocoon.

However Kane and Wilcoxen’s addition of a supernatural element gives the film a more traditional phantom feel that break up the film that otherwise appears to drift along in the middle lane.

The introduction of other characters widens the story adding perspective. There’s Alex’s creepy colleague Mark (Joey Millin) who knowing of her promiscuity thinks he’s a shoe-in. When Mark disappears in comes Chris (John Karna) initially annoying they develop a rapport.

More pertinent is her friendship with Cara (Katherine Hughes) with whom she shares an apartment and her fiancé Paul (Brennan Mejia).

What the film also has going for it is the magnificent photography of the city at night that reminded me of Brad Baruth and Meghan Leon’s Night Drive (2019). That was an integral part of that film. And it has the same resonance here; it’s a grimy beauty that heightens Alex’s almost hallucinogenic existence as she listlessly walks the streets.

It’s important to note that there’s no hint that the writers are commenting on Alex’s lifestyle, indeed this is dealt with head-on when Mark makes his misogynistic assumptions and moves.

The Dead Thing will be on Shudder from 14 February 2025.