THE Dead Thing is a horror about a young woman lost in a series of shallow hookups and meaningless connections.
Directed by Eric Kane, this slow-paced thriller tells the story of Alex (Blu Hunt) who is adrift in the unfulfilling world of online dating and a mundane job that keeps her from pursuing her dreams of being an artist.
New to Shudder, Kane’s film throws a cynical light on modern relationships, which from the outset, appears rather bleak and soulless. But it’s not all bad, after many mind-numbing encounters, Alex is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man Kyle (Smith-Petersen).
She quickly falls for Kyle, who seems like the perfect guy, but that all changes after one blissful night together when he disappears from her life and won’t reply to her countless messages and attempts to reach him.
Alex can’t get him out of her mind and her frustration soon turns to grief as she struggles to move on and swipe right in the hope of finding her true soul love.
Kyle, as it turns out, has a very dark secret, and the lovelorn Alex clearly never heard the old chestnut, that if he seems too good to be true, then he probably is!
But move on, she can’t.
There’s a real skeleton in Kyle’s cupboard for sure, and when she can no longer handle his disappearing act after their fiery night of passion, she sets out to find her mystery man.
She soon reconnects with Kyle, who is oblivious to their previous encounter, and still going through the motions on countless vacuous date nights. With the flame between the pair once again burning brightly, their brief affair proves to be one filled with infatuation, lust, over-dependency, bordering on obsession, with a supernatural twist.
Kane’s film proves a powerful metaphor for toxic relationships but it is delivered in a clichéd fashion. It all feels a bit dated despite its modern bent.
(3/5)
