Deadgirl (2008) Reviews

• Troubling, but sadly realistic (as horror movies go)

  Heislegend2009-06-17

  I find myself sort of wondering why IMDb has this listed as horror. Sure, there's the titular zombie-like chick in the film, but she's hardly the focal point. Honestly, this seems to me a lot like what George Romero would've done if he was making his first movies today. Not that this will likely ever heralded like the original Night Of The Living Dead, but a lot of the points are still there. I know a lot of people who bow at the feet of the master will cry foul at that last statement, but let's face it...Romero's early stuff is rather slow paced, low on gore, and dripping with social commentary. And so is Deadgirl. Basically what you've got here is the story of two disaffected teenage boys who come across a (sort of) dead girl in an abandoned hospital. Being teenagers, one disregards much of his humanity in favor of darker intentions while the other objects but does nothing to back up his protests. Slowly the story gathers more complexity as one teen begins essentially raping this (sort of) dead girl and eventually invites some friends in on the action. As troubling as this sounds (and it is), you've seen worse things in your life which is a bit surprising considering that in their minds this is basically a moving corpse. So eventually it's up to one guy to be the voice of reason and make everything right. There's a lot of commentary here. Everything from peer pressure, the effects of apathetic and absent parents, and the apathy and angst of teenagers gets touched on and done quite well. All said and done I'd certainly recommend this to anyone who's looking for a horror movie with a bit more substance and a bit less gore. Sure...we all like our horror movies nice and violent, but sometimes it's nice to see one that takes a slightly different path.

  More

• Very disturbing and highly recommended

  Pigbelly2009-01-03

  I saw this at the TIFF and was expecting it to be some kind of Saw film or something of its ilk. However, it is much better than a simple horror film and really defies categorization. Deadgirl is a look into how we humanize, empathize and sympathize. It is a very provocative film and I squirmed many times. It is, however, not a film made for shock value. This is an essay on what it is to be human and where we draw the line on what we consider human. It is an exploration into where we draw the line on compassion and the hows and whys of our brutality and inhumanity. There are many scenes that affected me so deeply that I had trouble sleeping and talked about them for many weeks afterward. This is a great disturbing film.

  More

• Surprisingly morbid and unsettling horror film.

  HumanoidOfFlesh2009-06-30

  Two teenagers JT and Rickie skip school and decide to go to an abandoned mental asylum.They horse around for a while destroying property before exploring the basement.In the cellar our heroes find a girl chained to a table with a plastic bag over her head.They touch her and it is revealed that she is alive.JT decides that they should keep her and use her as a sex slave.The problem is that the woman can't be killed and she is the living dead.First of all I really enjoyed "Deadgirl".The film is quite controversial when it comes to its dark necrophiliac subject matter.There are some moments of gore and violence and seriously twisted climax.The moral ambivalence of the film is actually the most disturbing thing about it.The main performances of Shiloh Fernandez and Noah Segan are very strong and my highest respect goes to Jenny Spain,who spends nearly every scene she is in naked and tormented.Fans of extreme cinema will no doubt enjoy "Deadgirl".7 out of 10.

  More

• Most disturbing zombie film yet.

  imrational2009-09-20

  I would have rated this film a full 10 out of 10, but I have to admit, it was so disturbing to me that I couldn't give it the full score. Imagine, one zombie-girl being held captive by teenage boys. The zombie isn't the monster here, it's the boys. This is most definitely NOT a date movie. This is more a flick that a person sees on their own and discusses later on internet message boards. Not much blood and guts, no dystopian future... so why is it so disturbing? A quick perusal of the plot/synopsis should tell you why, I'm not going to give away any spoilers in this review. I will say that this movie does a great job explaining the motivations of its male characters. I think it captures the angst, drives, and suffering of teenage males. Granted, the movie throws all of it to extreme contrast... but that only helps underline and illuminate those things. The movie does a great job with cinematics and pacing. I expect to see great things from the directors. I'd also like to comment on the movie poster (showing a woman's lips at a 90 degree angle). Brilliant movie poster on several levels.

  More

• Powerful, Brilliant and Relevant.

  peedur2009-09-30

  Like "River's Edge" 23 years ago, youth's normal curiosity about death and sex becomes unhinged and grows unspeakably perverse within a social climate which favors unconscious, desire-based consumption over fixed principles. These observations employ a darker and more relevant conviction here. Whether intended or not, the ideas at work in "Deadgirl" are so complex that calling this a "horror film" is perhaps not really accurate given the limitations by which the genre is judged. The film employs standard horror grammar, but through economy and purpose, the directors avoid pitfalls and cleverly make the genre's limits work in their favor. For example, the girl in question, an "object" in strictly horror terms, is carefully crafted to be something other than a person - she seems less an external creature than something within the characters themselves. A cipher onto which alternative meanings can be projected. Unlike typical "horror girls," she evolves into the most profoundly disturbing idea that contemporary horror has given us: a fever dream of narcissistic-sexual pathology, trauma-based-attachment-porn made flesh. Also, the context of the story, an abandoned asylum is rendered abstractly enough that one may read it equally as a metaphor than as simply a place in the real world; an image of the rotting mind where deviance waits - normally it's just a spooky old building when used in horror. The characters enter such a bottomless pit in terms of real human behavior that whether intentional or not, a sense of allegory provides grounding for the audience. Grounding is desperately missing in the world these characters occupy, which is perhaps the point. The film's male protagonists are are certainly of their time; they seem quite real to me. As with many kids today their sensitivities seem bleached away by what we all encounter: a relentless, post-narrative media blast from earliest childhood and an education without adequate social breadth. Their personal, familial inadequacies seem to be the seedbed for a hunger focused on effortless, narcissistic attachment. These are familiar kids. Placing them into this particular tale and intelligently imagining an outcome is what the directors have done. It is startling how effective it is. While "Deadgirl"could easily have come across as a simply ghastly spectacle, the film transcends genre, as well as outflanking the need to simply entertain, shock or titillate. By its solid execution, its restraint and primarily through the indigestible, dark brilliance of its idea, the film rises to the level of art.

  More