Loss tends to leave us with a significant hole to fill in our lives, and, if we’re not careful, it may well leave us open to manipulation. This is the crux of new US indie Dead Love (originally entitled A Song For The Living), which centres on Grayson Low as Brandon, a young musician and train engineer who loses the only real family he has left when his mother commits suicide. Struggling with his grief and plagued by recurring nightmares, Brandon finds solace in a rather unexpected place as a young woman named Fiona (Nicole Elizabeth Olsen), sister of funeral director Caterina (Kate Linder), seems to take a shine to him. Naturally, these sparks of burgeoning romance coming in the wake of such a devastating loss leave Brandon even more confused – but that’s nothing compared to how he will feel once he learns the bizarre and alarming truth behind Fiona’s interest in him.
Directed by Colin Floom and Greg Nemer, Dead Love is an intriguing, atmospheric, and for the most part very well-handled microbudget chiller. It may run the risk of alienating a portion of its likely audience, as it largely eschews the more obvious, visceral horror conventions in favour of something more understated and introspective; but then again, that might well make the film more in tune with the dominant mood of the genre in 2018, this being the year of A Quiet Place, Hereditary and the like. That said, if we’re using comparatively recent mainstream genre fare as a point of reference, Dead Love might well share the most common ground with del Toro’s Crimson Peak, in that, while it certainly has its supernatural horror elements, it is above all else a Gothic romance, focused primarily on the troubled love story at its centre.
Of course, when ultra-cheap independent productions such as this attempt more sophisticated, emotional takes on horror, they run another significant risk of failing badly thanks to inexperienced and/or inadequate actors; but happily, this is most definitely not the case here. This may be the debut feature of both Grayson Low and Nicole Elizabeth Olsen, but neither one comes up wanting in terms of screen charisma, dramatic weight, and – most importantly under the circumstances – on-screen sexual chemistry. This, I hasten to add, is not to suggest that Dead Love should be considered an erotic thriller; certainly there are hints of that, but these are neither the focal point, nor to be frank the most well-handled scenes in the film. Both the direction and the script from Emanuel Isler and Chad Israel are more interested in the emotional bond between Brandon and Fiona; or perhaps more accurately, the emotional needs of the two, as he struggles with loss, loneliness and existential anxiety, and she… well, I’m going to avoid specifics there for the sake of spoilers. Suffice to say, it’s not the most unique horror twist in recent memory (I could name a number of specific films that venture into similar territory, but that alone would feel too spoilerish!), but it is handled in an effective, agreeably low-key way.
Indeed, it’s only in the moments when Dead Love ventures into more standard genre territory that it threatens to veer a little off course, particularly a brief sidestep into near-torture porn which I daresay is more likely to induce groans than the desired gasps. It’s also likely that the audience may find their patience tested a little at times, for while it clocks in at less than 80 minutes, the languid pace and lack of action may see some viewers lose interest. However, if you can engage with the film on its own terms – not as a blood and thunder romp, but a sombre contemplation on the nature of love – you may well find it rewarding, worthwhile viewing.
Dead Love is available in VOD in the US now, via Wild Eye Releasing.