As a recovering theater kid who supports women’s rights and wrongs, I think Dead Lover is an interesting experiment. It feels like a sketch group has taken over a Black Box theater, and during the Q&A at TIFF, it was confirmed that that was the case. This leads to quite a bit of laughter and a few cheers as you invest in the ridiculousness of this world. Which is great for a movie premiering its Stink-O-Vision at a prestigious festival. However, what stands out the most for me are the themes of longing and basic human desire.
A Smell To Remember
Dead Lover introduces us to a lonely and smelly gravedigger who dreams of being loved. One night, her wish comes true as she saves a man who seems intoxicated by her pungent scent. However, like all gothic romances, theirs is doomed. Her lover dies at sea, leaving the gravedigger upset and alone again, as all that’s left of the man she loved is his finger. This propels her to turn to science to see if she can bring her lover back from the dead using his sole digit. This obviously causes chaos because, as all horror fans know, sometimes things are better left dead.
Director, co-writer, and our leading smelly gravedigger lady, Grace Glowicki, puts forth a world that allows women to be gross. However, unlike most cinema, Dead Lover knows the nauseating and uncouth lead still deserves love. There is no She’s All That makeover or a montage of her learning how to be a lady. This movie gets that people are people, women can be many things, and our dreams should not hinge on how society perceives us. Between the jokes, this film touches on yearning for the life you deserve. While Glowicki’s character yearning leads her to love, the sentiment can be applied to anything. She just happens to think her place in the world is beside the dead love of her short life.
It’s The Ensemble for Me
In addition to Glowicki, Leah Doz, Lowen Morrow, and Ben Petrie (who also co-wrote the script) take turns playing an array of zany characters. This allows the world to feel fuller, even if it’s the same two stages reused with the same four actors. It also guarantees the team a dedicated playground to make an impression. Everyone gets at least one character so bizarre that they feel like the MVP of the film. At least until the next one is introduced.
The small ensemble of four performers tackling all the roles is committed to their bits and having fun. This allows Dead Lover to reach for some silly highs and some ridiculous lows as they move through these characters at a fairly rapid speed. This results in more of a Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder energy (with modern sensibilities). Which isn’t something most of us would expect from a body horror comedy.
If you are in the mood for a likable sketch troupe exploring gothic expressionism, then this is your movie. You might even find yourself charmed by the style choices and improv vibes if you’re a theater person.