Deadgirl, WTF?
Just finished watching Deadgirl (2008)… maybe I should say re-watching, considering I had to watch it twice to really understand how I feel about it. The premise is pretty unusual and kind of sickening, but deserves acknowledgement for its departure from the norm. When Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and JT (Noah Segan), childhood friends from a small town, discover an undead girl (aka “Deadgirl”) in an abandoned insane asylum they are confronted with a deep question of morality. The story takes some interesting twists and turns ultimately leaving me with more questions than answers. Even the question of, “Did I even like this movie?”
1. Okay, you found an undead girl in the basement… now what? Immediately I think I’d just call the police. The last thing I’d want to do is touch her; “Deadgirl” looks mostly dead, is chained up to a bed and completely naked. In most films I usually question most characters’ reactions to situations and in this film I really had to question. Would a 17 year-old boy first reach out to touch her breast? Then again it isn’t unlike movies to require the audience to practice a temporary suspense of disbelief.
2. Ridiculous – from WTF to LOL. At times ridiculousness, or rather stupidity, of characters infuriated me and I almost wanted to stop the movie. But again, I can forgive the stupidity of characters and accept that it moves the plot forward. Further down the road though, the ridiculousness of the movie goes beyond the simple intelligence of characters. Fortunately, Deadgirl falls right into the ridiculousness in a way that’s hilarious and gets me to forgive it now and again.
3. Now, what have we learned? People are really stupid. In a way that’s so mind-boggling that it isn’t funny anymore. By the end of the film it is unquestionable how idiotic people actually are in this film, and the final lines of dialogue really solidify this for me. While the ending was pretty interesting, and somewhat unexpected, it left me feeling annoyed. For a couple of reasons, one being that the character, Rickie, apparently learned nothing in this movie. Another reason is that there a HUGE loose end that they kinda just… leave alone.
Ultimately I was intrigued by the newness of Deadgirl’s tale and found it entertaining. I was unsatisfied with some of the character development, and even more disappointed with the way they chose to wrap the story up. If you’re interested in watching the strange and interesting – even sometimes funny – then definitely give this movie a watch. While I get the feeling that Marcel Samiento (Director) would like you to take Deadgirl seriously, you’ll probably find yourself laughing at the film’s ridiculousness more than contemplating morality and sexuality.
