Feature Film, 2024
Directed by Elric Kane
Produced by Matt Mercer, Monte Yazzie
“There are two stars in The Dead Thing: Hunt (who made her film debut as Danielle Moonstar/Mirage in The New Mutants) and the cinematography of Ioana Vasile, which totally sells the possibility that the supernatural can exist within our modern world. Vasile also captures the film’s many sex scenes in a way that is both erotic and tasteful (this is a very sex positive film, and I doubt that having the Shudder premiere on Valentine’s Day is a coincidence).”
— Sarah Boslaugh, theartsstl.com
“The Dead Thing is still one of the most creative, relevant and gorgeously directed films of the 2020s, featuring some of the most evocative cinematography of the genre, a soothing score, and a cast that gives their best performances with their minimalistic script. The result is a modern morality tale that is as bleak as it is beautiful.”
-- Hannah Rose, CBR website review
The Dead Thing is a marvelously stylish feature, owing a lot to Kane’s understanding of artifice and presentation of these scenarios. It’s not a flashy film, but the gorgeous nighttime cinematography from Ioana Vasile elevates every scene and informs the vibe of the film in ways that dialogue cannot. Similarly, Michael Krassner’s evocative score plays a huge part in setting the tone, especially in a film where the lead character doesn’t even speak for nearly ten minutes, even though she’s on screen the whole time.
-J Hurtado, SCREENANARCHY
I love the way sex is shot in this film, how Kane locates the vulnerability of that interaction when one partner loses control, which is to say when both partners lose control.
-Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
The Dead Thing is a bold, stylish film and audiences willing to invest in a toxic relationship between two actors with great sexual chemistry and tinged with ghostly phenomena will find plenty to appreciate.
-Joe Lipsett, Bloody Disgusting
