Marbles, a hapless stoner, can see ghosts. Tagg, a recently dead wannabe super-cop, needs to find a serial killer. Can a critical ghost cop and a directionless stoner get over their prejudices and work together to save lives – and deaths?
Thomas Sainsbury stars as Marbles, the hapless after-life communicator who finds himself helping Tagg (Hayden J. Weal) solve his own murder. It’s a zany film filled with equal parts murder, mayhem, and laughter. From dialogue, situations, and even costuming (Tagg is wearing a police uniform with no pants throughout the entire film), “Dead” is filled with life. As Marbles is pushed outside his comfort zone, he must reconcile his guilt for his father’s death, confront dear old mother, and fall in love all while solving a mystery with the help of a ghost.
Sainsbury carries the film as a sweet but rather timid young man. Tagging along right beside him is Weal who effortlessly sets up each scene with seemingly unintentional comedy. Together, they play off one another giving each other’s characters a chance to grow and move on while we, the audience, laughs. The story takes a few detours that perhaps should have been edited and Mother is a bit too one dimensional, but overall, “Dead” is just plain fun as you escape into the great beyond for a couple of hours. Special effects in this little indie film are outstanding, but it’s the preposterous yet entertaining characters that make it worth seeing.
2 ½ Stars
