Title: Dead Lover
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Grace Glowicki
Starring: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Leah Doz
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

What It Is: A gravedigger, played by Glowicki, is alone and lonely. She believes this is due to the stench caused by her occupation. When she meets a sharp-tongued poet, played by Petrie, she is smitten by the fact that he adores her odious scent. Meanwhile, a handsome prince, played by Lowen Morrow, has just lost his beloved wife, played by Leah Doz. When the gravedigger’s beau is lost at sea, only his finger is returned to her. She uses that finger in an attempt to bring him back to life.

What We Think: This movie is weird. Grace Glowicki’s films are weird. She is certainly an acquired taste. Her previous feature, Tito, was not for me, and I do not think this one is either. It has a satirical edge that feels similar to Greener Grass, another film I did not particularly care for. What I can honestly respect about this endeavor is the boldness required to make it. I do not know who comes up with a premise like this or who decides to lean into something Shakespearean by having women play male roles and vice versa. It is the sort of fluid androgyny that I find somewhat refreshing.

Our Grade: C-, Is it for me? No. But the audience this massively strange film is made for will likely eat it up. Some of the set pieces look a bit amateurish, even for an indie film. Perhaps that is the point. The satirical style of acting may put some people off, and the overall performances do come across like performance art. Still, there is something here to appreciate, even if I am not the target audience. Check it out for yourself, because it is a hard film to truly explain. Just do not say I did not warn you.