The Dead Thing

This was a film that I learned about due to it streaming on Shudder. To my knowledge, I haven't heard anyone talking about it. I added it to my watch list for when I couldn't get to the theater for a 2025 horror release. Due to the birth of my second child, I decided to make this a Featured Review for Journey with a Cinephile.

Synopsis: a young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections falls in love with a charismatic and sensitive man, who hides a dark secret that turns her affair into a dangerous obsession.

We start this off with a montage of sorts. We're seeing Alex (Blu Hunt) as she goes on a date, hooks up and then gets a ride home. She met this guy through an app on her phone like Tinder or Bumble. Like the synopsis said, she isn't finding a meaningful connection. We see her as she meets up with various men looking for that spark.

That is until she matches with Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen). Something interesting during their date is that this is the first time we hear Alex speak to my knowledge. These two hit it off. They have a magical evening and stay up all night. The next morning, they go their separate ways. Alex texts Kyle, but doesn't get a response. We see that she continues to try and it appears she's been ghosted.

It is from here that she stalks him, trying to find out why he hasn't responded. She goes to his work and leaves a note. It doesn't help either that she lives with Cara (Katherine Hughes) who is dealing with a relationship situation of her own. She was engaged to Paul (Bernnan Mejia) and something happened. These two women have grown apart since then. There is also a co-worker, Mark (Joey Millin), who has a crush on Alex, but she doesn't share the feeling.

Things all change when Alex sees Kyle on a date with another woman. She follows them as he goes home with her. She then gets an idea to delete the app, start a new account and see if she can rematch with him. There is also another secret that she learns that will turn this whole situation upside down. She must decide what is a dealbreaker and what the repercussions of red flags are.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this is a modern take on dark romance. As someone who met their wife from a dating app, I'm one of the success stories. I've also gone out with my fair share of women that I've met through using these apps, with varying degrees of success. If you just look at it from that point of view, we have an interesting enough story. We are seeing toxic relationships, bad dates and just navigating the dating world. That can be terrifying enough. There is an element that goes into the horror realm. I don't want to spoil it, but just know it is there.

Now that I've set that up let me delve more into our lead of Alex. She and I are of different sex, to state the obvious. Despite that, I can still connect with her about going on dates trying to find someone. She is a modern woman so as long as the date goes well enough, she hooks up with him. I can't fault her there. She has needs to fulfill. I love how this movie shows this as monotonous and that it is just a revolving door where the person, she goes out with is interchangeable. That is until she meets Chris. I'll say here that Hunt is great in this lead role.

The other frustrating aspect of dating is finding someone you think you have a genuine connection with and it not working out. They had this great date then she got ghosted. I've had this happen to me to varying degrees. It hurts to get rejected. There is more to this though and this is the aspect of the story that I loved. If I was Alex, I could be forgiving in knowing the truth. This then shifts into the idea of toxic relationships. What I'll say is that Alex and Kyle do meet up again. It is from there that we see his jealousy cause him to be violent. This is a scary situation, especially for women. This is partially where the horror comes from as she can't get away from it. It is interesting that she stalks Kyle as well, which shows this can be a two-way street. I'll also include here that Smith-Petersen is solid in his role. He has a good look about him plus he just has a charm that feels real.

There isn't much more to go into for the story so let me finish out with the rest of the acting performances. A character I haven't brought up yet is Chris and he is played by John Karna. He is a new co-worker that Alex gets. These two also hit it off and it is more natural due to working together. What I love here is that it shows she wasn't interested in Mark and gave him a line to let him down easier. Karna is also charming and he plays well with Hunt. Hughes works to help develop backstory for Alex, while also having her own problems to deal with. Meija is included there. Other than that, Millin and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.

All that is left then is filmmaking. Overall, this is well-made. They do interesting things with the cinematography and framing. The use of reflections, whether it is in a mirror or a window. I did like that. It is used to reveal something. That feels like it is borrowing from mythology so that was a good touch. This is limited in the effects that are used, but it also isn't that type of movie. It doesn't necessarily need them. They did go practical where they could there. I did like the editing, especially setting the stage with the early montage. Other than that, the soundtrack fit what was needed.

In conclusion, this isn't a great film. I do think that it is exploring interesting ideas. It is a modern take on the dating scene and then incorporates supernatural aspects. I like the themes and ideas that it explores with the dating world as well as toxic relationships. The acting is good here to bring this to life. Hunt leads the way with Smith-Petersen, Karna and the rest of the cast pushing her to where things end up. I'd say that this is made well enough. No issues there. The best parts being the cinematography, framing and the editing. This won't be for everyone. It is horror in a subtle way, but that comes with the nature of the sub-genre that this falls in. I'd recommend it if what I said here sounds interesting to you.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

No pun intended - the main character is barely living ... there is not much happening for her except for job, sleep and ... well hooking up. Not shaming her and you shouldn't either - you could say that she lacks emotion, she lacks connection ... so there is a hole that she needs to fill (get your mind out of the gutter, talking soul of course) ... finding someone who is able to do just that is not going to be easy.

Of course the one she does seem to find ... well there is a reason she connects to him. If you are not aware of the story or have read any synopsis, I will not tell you more. I can tell you that she gets clingy, which seems to go against what we learned about her ... but stick with it and it will make sense.

There are other flaws (story and character wise, with some twists either being predictable or not really playing out the best way they could) ... but overall this is more than decent ... fair warning this gets quite sexual - including nudity! Just know this (whatever you make of it is yours)

My key points for this movie are:

Watch it like it is a psychological thriller rather than a psychological horror. I believe that will help you get you through most of it.

The concept does have great potential. It reels you in- you will find yourself lost in the movie at times. It goes a bit overboard artistically which makes the plot move slowly. Since they wanted to hide the big reveal, they use those artistic features to distract you.

It begins to feel longwinded towards the ending act. To me, the movie failed to reach a satisfying climax and left a lot of unanswered questions on the table.

I recently watched The Dead Thing (2024), a Valentine's Day release on Shudder. The story follows a single woman struggling to find a meaningful connection, whether in real life or through dating apps. She eventually meets a mysterious man who seems to have an unusual influence on her, changing the way she sees-and craves-relationships. But what exactly is she craving, and why?

Directed by Elric Kane (Kissy Kissy), the film stars Katherine Hughes (Tangled), Emily Joy Lemus (Oppenheimer), Josh Marble (The Calling), and Joey Millin (Threshold).

This is one of those films that had potential, thanks to its unique premise and the mystery surrounding its events. The cast delivers solid performances, and there are some effective uses of lighting, shadows, and masks/makeup. However, the slow burn is too methodical, dragging on without much payoff. While there's some horror nudity and intriguing visuals, the film ultimately fails to build on its ideas, leaving it feeling hollow.

In conclusion, The Dead Thing plays like a poor man's Bones and All, but without a strong ending to justify the journey. I'd rate it a 4/10 and recommend skipping it.

This movie has a fairly interesting-looking poster that definitely caught my attention. I'm a huge horror movie fan, and the vague plot description made me curious. We follow a young woman who lacks emotion and connection in her life and, as a result, keeps hooking up with men she finds on dating apps. Through her sex-positive lifestyle, she meets a charismatic and sensitive man who hides a dark secret that turns into a dangerous obsession.

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't really offer much for the audience to enjoy. We follow our lead character, played by Katherine Hughes, through her daily life, which is not particularly engaging. Most of her dates are dull and end with predictable sex scenes. The one potentially interesting element is the mysterious man, but even his character is never fully developed, and we don't get many answers about him.

Our main character is also not very likable, which makes it hard to root for her or stay invested in her story, even though Hughes gives a good performance. The movie needed something compelling to happen in order to make it enjoyable or memorable. There are no real horror elements, and the mystery is never properly explored. Her relationship with her coworkers had potential but remains underdeveloped and uninteresting. A few comedic moments could have improved the pacing or at least offered something entertaining for the viewer.

Instead, the film just plays out in a flat and unsatisfying way. Some people might find enjoyment in it, but I struggled to stay awake and definitely can't recommend it. [3.5/10]