Horror films today must go out of their way to shock audiences. You can thank torture porn franchises like “Saw” for that cold reality.
Along comes “Deadgirl,” an indie thriller which proudly wears its offensiveness on its DVD jacket, and the shock bar is nudged a bit higher.
Or lower, as it were.
The film follows a pair of teenagers who discover a young woman, not quite dead, but not necessarily alive, shackled to an abandoned hospital bed.
What happens next is not for the faint of heart, or for those hoping the unsavory subject matter would yield a compelling story.
Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and JT (Noah Segan) are a pair of buds whose idea of a good time is trashing an abandoned mental facility while chugging beers. Maybe the local bowling alley closed down.
They find a woman’s body (Jenny Spain) in one of the hospital rooms, her naked form strapped tight to a gurney. She appears to be dead, but when they look closer she’s still moving.
The mystery behind the “deadgirl” slowly unravels, but in the meantime JT decides to “use” the discovery for unsavory purposes.
Yes, your ugliest suspicions are on target.
It’s a heavy slog the rest of the way, and the true monsters here are JT and a few of his pals. They feel no remorse taking sexual gratification wherever they can.
The film tweaks the notion that teens who don’t fit into existing cliques have no option when it comes to relationships, and for a few moments that subtext helps broaden the bare bones plot.
The disinterested dialogue dampens that momentum. It’s authentic to the core, which means it’s alternately coarse and off-putting. “Deadgirl” also errs in making the Richie/JT relationship so flimsy. There’s virtually nothing at stake as the film rumbles along to its predictable conclusion.
“Deadgirl” features a wealth of creepy set pieces, and co-directors Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel transform the static hospital backdrop into a uniquely appalling character in and of itself.
The final half hour brings the gore, and that could be enough to satiate some audiences.
Repugnant and horrific are two distinct descriptors, and “Deadgirl” serves up far too much of the former, and precious little of the latter.
(Photo: A pair of trouble-seeking teens get more than they bargained for when they enter an abandoned mental hospital in “Deadgirl”/Dark Sky Films)
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I read the full plot synopsis at the IMDb.
Yuck.
And, come think of it, Eeew.
I would respectfully disagree with the review, especially the comparison to “torture porn” films like Saw. What I found in Deadgirl was a very dark look at the manner in which teenage boys objectify women, in this case quite literally. And it isn’t just about how certain “cliques” are forced into this, as seen in the scene with the more athletic, popular kids who also take part. Yes, the conclusion is easy to see coming, but the movie does a fine job of examining issues of objectification and dehumanization of women without using those elements as a cheap gag. This is a far smarter, better film than the dismissive review implies.
saw this at the Toronto Film Festival, almost didn’t go because of the logline. But was surprised how engaging it was, and not what I expected AT ALL. So much more then the logline suggests. Certainly not for everyone (the other couple I went with were a bit freaked out) but my girl and I couldn’t stop talking about it for days. All I can say is if you like smart, challenging cinema and not the usual spoon-feed crap that’s served up week in and out, this might be for you to check out. Surprising is how I’d describe it. But lots of divisive opinions on this one for sure. No safety and by the numbers here for the masses. Hey hollywood – maybe that’s a good thing?
Bo and Gilmore – really appreciate your thoughtful comments, and it’s great to have a movie debate without vitriol.
I don’t think anyone’s going to have fun screaming about how one person is wrong, even if we disagree. The great thing about this movie is, like Gilmore said, it does foster so much discussion on both sides, and I agree that maybe a few more like this, that can inspire passion on both sides, is far better than an All About Steve that generates simple shrugs.