Dead (film)

Last updated
Dead
Directed byHayden J. Weal
Written by
Produced byHayden J. Weal
Starring
  • Tom Sainsbury
  • Hayden J. Weal
CinematographyTammy Williams
Edited byKerri Roggio
Music by
  • Tom McLeod
  • William Philipson
  • Tom Pierard
  • Jimmy Urine
Release date
  • 2020 (2020)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryNew Zealand
LanguageEnglish

Dead is a 2020 New Zealand comedy horror film, starring Tom Sainsbury and Hayden J. Weal. [1]

Contents

Plot

Dane 'Marbles' Marbeck can see ghosts with the help of a homemade drug. While out on his day job of connecting people with their deceased loved ones, he's confronted by a freshly dead cop, Officer Jayson Tagg, who wants help hunting his killer. [2] [3]

Cast

Production

The script was co-written by Sainsbury and Weal, with both also performing the two lead roles. Weal also directed and produced the film. [1]

Release

The film was released in New Zealand in August 2020, and internationally on 6 October 2020. [4]

The film was later released as an eight-part web series. [1] [5] In New Zealand, the series is available to view on TVNZ's free-to-air streaming service TVNZ+. [3]

Reception

Kate Rodger of Newshub praised the film, stating that it had great performances and a cracking script. Rodger wrote that Dead "was, in fact, full of life, and death and was an unexpected delight" and gave it four out of five stars. [2] Writing for Stuff , reviewer James Croot stated although there were some inspired moments, "Dead’s combination of the supernatural and silly behaviour just felt a little too forced," and rated the film three stars. [5]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4 out of 10. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dead". NZ On Screen. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 Rodger, Kate (19 September 2020). "Film review: Dead has great performances and a cracking script". Newhub. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Dead". TVNZ+. TVNZ. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  4. Barton, Monika (21 July 2020). "Kiwi comedian Tom Sainsbury speaks to ghosts in creepy Dead trailer". Newshub. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  5. 1 2 Croot, James (17 September 2020). "Dead: Tom Sainsbury takes a more serious turn in tonally odd Ghost story". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  6. "Dead". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 9 July 2020.