Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Deadgirl Blu-ray Movie Review

Welp, that just happened.

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 3, 2023

I'm a sucker for "dare 'em to do it" boundary-pushing horror. And Deadgirl certainly fits the bill. At least on the surface. The problem is the "edgy", gratuitous frights that await are designed to titillate, unnerve and turn the stomach at the same time, hardly a fun combo, though it has been successfully done before. (God help those who've watched the original 2008 French version of Martyrs and had those images burned into your retinas. It's an excellent film, truly horrifying. But *shiver* and deep, cleansing breath.) No, Deadgirl offers a premise -- a dingy, claustrophobic zombie flick featuring (un)healthy doses of rape and necrophilia -- and then... piles on more of the same premise. Then some more. And some more. As the minutes tick by, and especially as leading moral conundrum Rickie hems and haws about what to do, the lack of depth slips from baffling to grating. Add to that the performances: two, sometimes as many as five, teen-not-teens spitting out the word "man" in rapidfire succession anytime tension chips away at their calm. What does that make Deadgirl? The thinnest of thin gross-out horror flicks that's somehow still luring people in 15 years after its release. Maybe it's just me. The filmmakers certainly give it their indie-first all. Maybe I'm just not into eating what they're feeding. You'll have to judge this one for yourself.

Abandon all hope ye who enter here...

While exploring an abandoned building, high school seniors and social outcasts Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez, 2013's Evil Dead) and JT (Noah Segan, Brick, Looper, Knives Out) find a naked girl chained to a table. At first, they assume she's dead, but then... *inhale*... she starts breathing. Barely. This is the moment that two high schoolers would run and fetch the police, unchaining the poor, clearly abused, nearly dead woman so she could be freed and receive medical attention, right? Nope. JT immediately wants to take advantage of the situation and rape her. Rickie objects but soon wanders home and shares the story with... no one, because... he doesn't think anyone will believe him. Cause that's what you do when you find an imprisoned girl in an old warehouse and discover she's alive. But surprise, surprise, upon returning the next day, Rickie not only discovers JT has had his way with the woman, repeatedly; he's tried to kill her three times, quickly surmising that she's not actually alive, but rather undead. A revelation that comes as a shock but not a terror. Undead. As in a zombie. At this point, surely JT will run screaming, worried he's contracted an STI laced with a zombie virus, right? Right? Nope. He not only continues to rape the almost catatonic creature, he invites another teen, Wheeler (Eric Podnar), who finally contacts the authorities. Nah, I'm just kidding. He forces himself on the girl as well, who they've now affectionately nicknamed "Deadgirl".

Offended yet? Oh. just wait! There's more. Two bullies (Andrew DiPalma and Glee's Nolan Gerard Funk) follow JT and Wheeler to the abandoned warehouse and, after a series of unfortunate events in which Rickie almost grows a conscience, as well as a proverbial pair, and Johnny joins the sexual assault wagon, Johnny is bitten and... slowly begins to turn into a zombie himself over the next few days. Because when he leaves, after having his, erm, organ chomped on by an undead girl, you go the doctors. The police. Your parents. Right? Noooope. If none of this is making sense it's because Deadgirl isn't interested in normal human reactions or a believable setup or arc to an already shark-jumping plot. Instead the filmmakers double down on the controversial schtick, the casual rapes and the exploitation. And do so by going hard R, but not in the way you might assume. This is F-bombing violence-and-gore camp slathered in a hyper-serious tone. Much of the nudity is suggested but not overly graphic. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want it to be more graphic. I wanted to understand how anyone would make the decisions I was watching being made. For the life of me, I couldn't. And the movie lost me, fast. JT, Wheeler, Johnny, others... just a means to an end. Segan earns his paycheck and then some, delivering a performance that suggests he's in an entirely different, and entirely better, film. The others struggle to connect the dots in a script that already has a hard time doing the same.

How does it end? No spoilers necessary. Long before the credits roll, you'll have mapped out exactly what's going to happen. Those dots are easy to connect. Shaky moral compass-bearer Rickie finds a line he won't cross, JT descends into deeper and deeper deviance, Rickie's crush Joann (Candice Accola, The Vampire Diaries) keeps getting screen time (gee, wonder where that's going), and the dead girl at the center of Deadgirl (oh yes, played boldly and unabashedly by Jenny Spain, who gives it her all and almost pulls the movie out of the ditch all by herself) follows fate and does precisely what you'd expect. No big twist here. No real gut punches. No compelling moral ravines to climb out of. It's predictable, and for grossout, boundary-pushing fare, that's not very sporting. I know, I know. There are a number of reviews out there that praise Deadgirl and its sewer-scum grit, grime and gore. More power to you, folks. If this jabs the horror button for you, jab away. But knowing some people love this movie creeps me out far more than any scene in the movie. Wrap your head around that one. No judgement here. It's just very clear, and was even before the first act drew to a close, that Deadgirl isn't a film for me. Its disgusting moments were revolting, yes. But moreso were its screenplay oversights and shortcomings, hit or miss supporting performances and foggy, oh so foggy, character motivations.

Deadgirl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 15th anniversary edition of Deadgirl looks better in high definition than I expected. The abandoned building at the center of most of the film is dark and murky, two things that prove problematic in digitally filmed indie flicks brought to Blu-ray on a budget. But aside from some crushing and the occasional glimpse of blockiness or banding in the shadows, there isn't much that amounts to a significant distraction. Colors are undersaturated and muted by design anytime the boys go into the abandoned building; sickly greens, bottomless blacks, and grimy yellows dominate the palette. When they move outside and return to school, it's all much different... brighter, more vibrant, more alive. Contrast is decent, though a tad hot in the daylight and a bit too dim in the dark, though that's personal preference. Black levels sometimes struggle to go as deep as they should, or as the filmmakers appear to desire. Still, the original photography, as intended or as settled upon, is represented faithfully. Detail is also quite good, with surprisingly clean edge definition and revealing fine textures. (Sometimes too revealing. Ew.) All told, I doubt Deadgirl could fare much better than it does here. En... joy?

Deadgirl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unearthed Films' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track offers a solid six-channel sound mix, although its shortcomings are no doubt the result of low budget, all hands on deck sound mixing typical of smaller, early 2000s productions. The experience is extremely front-heavy, despite a good bit of rear speaker engagement as the film moves from talky confrontation to more physical clashes. Even then, the outer soundscape activity feels slightly detached from the interior soundscape, where the dialogue and central effects call home. It isn't a big issue -- indie horror is a breeding ground for this type of surround mix -- and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about when you hear it, but it's worth mentioning all the same. Thankfully voices are clear and rarely overwhelmed by the soundfield, front channel pans are relatively smooth, and low-end output is adequate (more so when everything comes to a head in the final fifteen minutes of the film). Bottom line, Deadgirl's Blu-ray features an above average lossless mix for an indie horror pic. Fans will be satisfied.

Deadgirl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Cast & Crew - Co-directors Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel, cast members Shiloh Fernandez and Noah Segan, composer Joseph Bauer, writer Trent Haaga, editor Phillip Blackford and cinematographer Harris Charalambous offer production details, anecdotes, insights into indie horror filmmaking and much more. Crowded but entertaining.

• Audio Commentary by actor Jenny Spain - More interesting was this commentary with the actress behind the titular Deadgirl. Moderated by Sandy Martin, this feature-length interview with Spain made me want to like the movie more. I don't. But it made me want to. Spain talks at length about deeper bits that didn't translate to the screen for me in the moment, but upon listening to her explanations, can be spotted in her performance and the abandoned building sequences.

• New Interview with Co-Director Gadi Harel (HD, 14 minutes) - A solid overview of the production, retrospective on the now 15-year year old film and its cult reputation, working with the cast, crew and writer, and more. The only oddity is that Sarmiento is absent.

• New Interview with Writer Trent Haaga (HD, 24 minutes) - Much the same, albeit from the screenwriter's perspective. I genuinely love watching normal people, who seem lovely and personable, talk about the nightmares they committed to paper and the screen. Reminds me of interviews with horror maestros like Stephen King.

• New Interview with Actor Noah Segan (HD, 18 minutes) - Deadgirl's most complex part is dissected by its actor. Good stuff here. Segan also makes a spirited defense (without sounding defensive) of the film's messages and themes.

• New Interview with Actor Shiloh Fernandez (HD, 9 minutes) - Rickie's moral failings get a spirited defense from Fernandez, who also discusses making the film, working with the directors, and seeing it all come to undead life on the screen.

• New Interview with Special Makeup Effects Artist & Designer Jim Ojala (HD, 28 minutes) - Info galore on the look of the title character, the bloodier bits of flesh, bone and gore, and many of the topics already covered, just from a horror aesthetics perspective this time.

• Exquisite Corpse: The Making of Deadgirl (SD, 7 minutes) - An original DVD featurette.

• Jenny Spain's Audition (SD, 2 minutes) - Um, Jenny Spain's... audition. Kinda self-explanatory.

• Deleted Scenes (SD, 7 minutes) - Several scenes with text intros explaining each cut.

• New Behind The Scenes Gallery (HD)

• New Extended Makeup FX Gallery (HD)

• Promotional Stills Gallery (HD)

• Deadgirl Shooting Script(HD)

• Deadgirl 2 First Draft Script(HD)

• Theatrical Trailer

Deadgirl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Deadgirl wasn't for me. I know I'll get flack from fans for the low movie score, but I can only call 'em like I see 'em. Fortunately, Unearthed's 15th anniversary Blu-ray release is a solid one and easily the go-to edition of Deadgirl for those who appreciate its, um, particular blend of ick and horror. With a strong video presentation, above average lossless audio track, and packed, bursting-at-the-seams supplemental package, this release is an easy one to -- God help me -- recommend to anyone who digs the film's nauseating blend of go-for-it deviance and they-just-did-that torture porn.