Depraved

Last updated
Depraved
Depraved (2019) Film Poster.jpg
Directed by Larry Fessenden
Written byLarry Fessenden
Produced byLarry Fessenden
Chadd Harbold
Jenn Wexler
Starring
CinematographyJames Siewert
Chris Skotchdopole
Edited byLarry Fessenden
Music by Will Bates
Production
companies
Glass Eye Pix
Forager Films
Distributed by IFC Midnight
Release date
  • March 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)(What The Fest?)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Depraved is a 2019 American horror film written and directed by Larry Fessenden and starring David Call and Joshua Leonard. [1] It is a modern version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein . [2] [3]

Contents

Premise

Suffering from PTSD following his stint as a United States Army medic, Henry now works feverishly in his Brooklyn laboratory to forget the deaths he witnessed overseas by creating life in the form of a man cobbled together from body parts. After procuring a brain from an unwitting victim, his creation, Adam, is born. But it soon seems that giving life to Adam was the easy part; teaching him how to live in a dark and troubled world may be perilous.

Cast

Release

Depraved made its worldwide debut on March 20, 2019 at the IFC Center's What The Fest!? Film Festival. [4] On May 13 that same year, it was announced that IFC Midnight acquired American distribution rights to the film. [5]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Depraved holds an approval rating of 84% based on 57 reviews, with an average score of 7.1/10. The site's consensus reads: "A thrillingly effective update on a classic story, Depraved jolts a familiar monster back to life with a potent blend of timely themes and old-school chills." [6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews". [7]

David Ehrlich of IndieWire graded the film a B. [8] Anya Stanley of Dread Central awarded the film three stars out of five. [9] Katie Rife of The A.V. Club awarded the film a B− and found that Fessenden did something interesting with what is "the umpteenth adaptation of a centuries-old classic." [10] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times called it Fessenden's "most coherent and visually polished work to date" while still finding it a little "overlong." [11] TheWrap 's William Bibbiani was more critical saying "as a whole it contributes little to the 'Frankenstein' tradition, other than a reminder that this has all been done before, mostly better." [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Roost</i> 2005 American film

The Roost is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Ti West. It stars Tom Noonan, Karl Jacob, Wil Horneff and Vanessa Horneff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Fessenden</span> American actor and filmmaker

Laurence T. Fessenden is an American actor, producer, writer, director, film editor, and cinematographer. He is the founder of the New York based independent production outfit Glass Eye Pix. His writer/director credits include No Telling, Habit (1997), Wendigo (2001), and The Last Winter, which is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. He has also directed the television feature Beneath (2013), an episode of the NBC TV series Fear Itself (2008) entitled "Skin and Bones", and a segment of the anthology horror-comedy film The ABCs of Death 2 (2014). He is the writer, with Graham Reznick, of the BAFTA Award-winning Sony PlayStation video game Until Dawn. He has acted in numerous films including Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Broken Flowers (2005), I Sell the Dead (2009), Jug Face (2012), We Are Still Here (2015), In a Valley of Violence (2016), Like Me (2017), and The Dead Don't Die (2019), Brooklyn 45 (2023), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Green (filmmaker)</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1975)

Adam Green is an American actor, filmmaker and musician, best known for his work in horror and comedy films, including the Hatchet franchise, 2010's Frozen, and the television series Holliston.

<i>Earth Days</i> 2009 American film

Earth Days is a 2009 documentary film about the history of the environmental movement in the United States, directed by Robert Stone and distributed by Zeitgeist Films in theaters. Earth Days premiered at the 2009 Wisconsin Film Festival, and released to theatres on August 14, 2009.

<i>I Sell the Dead</i> 2008 American film

I Sell the Dead is a 2008 horror comedy, the feature film debut from Irish director Glenn McQuaid. It is a period film about grave robbing, starring Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman, Larry Fessenden and Angus Scrimm.

<i>Cool It</i> (film) 2010 American film

Cool It is a 2010 documentary film directed by Ondi Timoner. It is based on the book Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming by Danish statistician Bjørn Lomborg. The film stars Lomborg, best known for authoring The Skeptical Environmentalist, and explores his views on global warming and criticisms of conventional mitigation approaches. It premiered in Canada at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and had a theatrical United States release on November 12, 2010.

<i>Stake Land</i> 2010 American horror film

Stake Land is a 2010 American post apocalyptic vampire horror film directed by Jim Mickle and starring Nick Damici, who cowrote the script with Mickle. It also stars Connor Paolo, Danielle Harris and Kelly McGillis. The plot revolves around an orphaned young man being taken under the wing of a vampire hunter known only as "Mister", and the battle for survival in their quest for a haven.

<i>A Horrible Way to Die</i> 2010 American horror film

A Horrible Way to Die is a 2010 American horror film directed and edited by Adam Wingard, written by co-producer Simon Barrett, and starring A. J. Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, Brandon Carroll, and Lane Hughes. The story follows an escaped serial killer as he chases down his recovering alcoholic ex-girlfriend who is responsible for his incarceration. The film had its world premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival Vanguard program where it was picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. It also played at Fantastic Fest where it received three major awards: Best Screenplay for Simon Barrett, Best Actor for A. J. Bowen and Best Actress for Amy Seimetz.

<i>Citizen Gangster</i> 2013 Canadian film by Nathan Morlando

Citizen Gangster is a 2011 Canadian biographical drama film directed and written by Nathan Morlando. Scott Speedman stars as Canadian gangster and alleged murderer Edwin Alonzo Boyd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Mickle</span> American director and writer (born 1979)

Jim Mickle is an American director and writer, known for such films as Mulberry Street, Stake Land, We Are What We Are and Cold in July. He also co-developed the SundanceTV series Hap and Leonard, and the Netflix series Sweet Tooth.

Nick Damici is an American actor and screenwriter known for such films as Mulberry Street and Stake Land.

<i>We Are What We Are</i> (2013 film) 2013 film

We Are What We Are is a 2013 American horror film directed by Jim Mickle and starring Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, and Kelly McGillis. It was screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. It is a remake of the 2010 Mexican film of the same name. Both a sequel and prequel have been announced.

<i>White Reindeer</i> (2013 film) 2013 American film

White Reindeer is a 2013 American dark comedy film written and directed by Zach Clark. The film stars Anna Margaret Hollyman as a real estate agent who must deal with the recent death of her husband as the holidays approach. Also appearing are Laura Lemar-Goldsborough, Joe Swanberg, Nathan Williams, Chris Doubek, and Melodie Sisk.

<i>Open Windows</i> (film) 2014 film

Open Windows is a 2014 found footage techno-thriller film directed and written by Nacho Vigalondo. The film stars Elijah Wood, Sasha Grey and Neil Maskell, and had its world premiere at South by Southwest on 10 March 2014. It is Vigalondo's first English-language film.

<i>Prevenge</i> 2016 British film

Prevenge is a 2016 British comedy slasher film written by, directed by and starring Alice Lowe in her directorial debut. The film also stars Kate Dickie, Kayvan Novak, Jo Hartley, Mike Wozniak, Gemma Whelan and Tom Davis. The plot follows a pregnant widow who is convinced her foetus is compelling her to embark on a killing spree as revenge for the death of her husband.

<i>Band Aid</i> (film) 2017 American film

Band Aid is a 2017 American comedy-drama film, written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones in her directorial debut. It stars Lister-Jones, Adam Pally, Fred Armisen, Susie Essman, Retta, Hannah Simone, Ravi Patel and Brooklyn Decker. Lister-Jones also co-wrote the original songs in the film with multi-instrumentalist Kyle Forester.

<i>Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich</i> 2018 American film

Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich is a 2018 American horror comedy film directed by Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund, and written by S. Craig Zahler. The film is the thirteenth entry in the Puppet Master franchise, and is the first film produced by Fangoria under their "Fangoria Presents" label, following their acquisition by Cinestate. It is a reboot of the series, and stars Thomas Lennon, Jenny Pellicer, Nelson Franklin, Barbara Crampton, and Udo Kier. It was released on August 17, 2018, by RLJE Films. As of February 2019, the film has grossed over $600,000 through video sales.

<i>Stray Dolls</i> 2019 American film

Stray Dolls is a 2019 American crime film directed by Sonejuhi Sinha and written by Sonejuhi Sinha and Charlotte Rabate. The film stars Geetanjali Thapa, Olivia DeJonge, Cynthia Nixon, Robert Aramayo and Samrat Chakrabarti.

Ovation is a 2015 American comedy drama film written by Henry Jaglom and Ron Vignone, directed by Jaglom and starring Tanna Frederick and James Denton.

<i>Birth/Rebirth</i> 2023 film by Laura Moss

Birth/Rebirth is a 2023 American psychological horror film directed by Laura Moss in their feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Moss and Brendan J. O'Brien, and is inspired by the 1818 novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Starring Marin Ireland, Judy Reyes, A.J. Lister, Breeda Wool, and LaChanze, the film follows a morgue technician who, after successfully reanimating the body of a young girl, must harvest biological material from pregnant women in order to keep her alive.

References

  1. Navarro, Meagan (3 June 2019). "[Overlook Review] 'Depraved' Marks a Return to Form for Larry Fessenden". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  2. Jaime Grijalba Gomez (22 March 2019). "What The Fest?! 2019 Review: Depraved Fittingly Pays Tribute to Frankenstein". Screen Anarchy . Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  3. Trussell, Jacob (23 March 2019). "'Depraved' Review: Larry Fessenden's 'Frankenstein on the Hudson'". Film School Rejects . Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  4. Pedersen, Erik (6 March 2019). "Larry Fessenden's 'Depraved' To Open IFC Center's What The Fest!?". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  5. Siegel, Tatiana (15 May 2019). "Cannes: IFC Midnight Nabs Frankenstein Adaptation 'Depraved' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  6. "Depraved". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  7. "Depraved reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  8. Ehrlich, David (19 March 2019). "'Depraved' Review: Larry Fessenden's No-Budget Delight Brings Frankenstein into the 21st Century". IndieWire . Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  9. Stanley, Anya (1 April 2019). "What The Fest 2019: Depraved Review – A Quiet Meditation on Bad Dads and Hubris". Dread Central . Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  10. Rife, Katie (September 12, 2019). "Dr. Frankenstein is reborn as a Brooklyn body snatcher in Larry Fessenden's Depraved". The A.V. Club . Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  11. Catsoulis, Jeannette (September 12, 2019). "'Depraved' Review: Busy Body (Parts)". The New York Times . Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  12. Bibbiani, William (September 12, 2019). "'Depraved' Film Review: Larry Fessenden's Latest Is a Mumblecore Frankenstein". TheWrap . Retrieved September 21, 2019.