Dead Lover
The brief
Grace Glowicki's macabre romantic comedy feels like early Peter Jackson crossed with a Tim Burton fever dream, balancing genuine pathos with delightfully twisted body horror. The pacing lurches between tender moments and manic laboratory sequences, creating an unsettling rhythm that keeps you guessing whether to laugh or cringe. Glowicki commits fully to playing a corpse-scented protagonist without ever winking at the camera, grounding even the most ridiculous resurrection attempts in raw emotional need. Perfect for fans of The Love Witch or Dead Alive who want their horror served with unexpected heart.
The verdict
If you crave weird, heartfelt horror that blends genuine romance with grotesque body horror and aren't fazed by uneven pacing, this is a delightfully twisted gem that commits fully to its bizarre premise. If you need your horror straightforward or can't stomach genuinely disgusting resurrection sequences mixed with tender emotional moments, the jarring tonal shifts will likely leave you cold.
Watch with
- 👥 Horror comedy fans who appreciate weird romance
- 👫 Date night for couples with dark humor
- ⚠️ Skip if squeamish about corpses and decay
Heads up
- Graphic depictions of corpses and decomposition (frequent)
- Body horror and medical experimentation (moderate)
- Character drowning death (brief)
- Disturbing resurrection imagery (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Grace Glowicki
- Cast
- Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Leah Doz, Lowen Morrow
Official synopsis
A lonely gravedigger who stinks of corpses finally meets her dream man, but their whirlwind affair is cut short
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Rosebush Pruning (2026)
Both explore obsessive love through grotesque acts of creation and preservation.
Total runtime: 1h 26m + 1h 37m = 3h 3m
