Deadgirl (Zombie Slave Lover Film)
If you ever feel yourself begin to crave a film that provides necrophilia, a coming-of-age story, or body horror all in bloodied package, there’s Deadgirl. Made in 2008 and released for its 15th anniversary by Unearthed in 2023, the film has aged surprisingly well. The story follows two teenage boys, Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and JT (Noah Segan), who trespass in an abandoned mental asylum and discover a girl (Jenny Spain) not living nor exactly dead tied up within the depths of the derelict institution. Known as “deadgirl” (named this only by JT), the creature becomes a little secret between the two boys, but things spiral when the secret becomes too great. The acting is convincing, and the chemistry between JT and Rickie work splendidly (having seen both Fernandez in Evil Dead (2013) and Segan in Blood Relatives previously, I knew they would hold their own in this film). The soundtrack follows any other 2000s teenage, I’m-different-and-am-figuring-things-out film, and it even ties in well with the depraved aspect of the narrative (though it does not feature Acid Bath’s “Dead Girl,” which is such a waste).
The theme of coming-of-age and dealing with a broken household has been done in horror many times, but the writers craft their own version of the theme here. What the movie does best is presenting disillusioned youth, and displaying the lines morbid minds will cross. Not only is the film well-written but it contrasts wonderfully with the small bits of dark humor and grotesquery it features. There’s body horror, but do not expect a bloodbath; the film prefers rather to shock its audience by incorporating taboos and uncomfortable scenes than by relying on blood and guts. The story’s pace is perfect, though this isn’t hard to do in its short runtime. Seeing the dead girl alone, always wet and greasy, will make anyone uncomfortable. Jenny Spain does an incredible job at creating a corpse that can look quite pitiable some moments, and at others intense and glaring; she seems as though she knows something, or as if she’s conscious of everything happening, despite her being a “deadgirl.” The moments she ferally charges her captives are a delight as well, showing how the film can unsettle the viewer with calm and intense moments. It’s a shame that the sequel never came to fruition (despite a draft having been written, though I am unclear whether it was a complete draft or not), as there’s more to be done with this story. Who knows, though, because sequels and remakes have become the priority of Hollywood!
Unearthed Films Official Instagram
Written by Logan, Sexton of the Derelict Dead
Deadgirl
Unearthed Films
5 / 5
