Play Dead is a horror movire directed by Patrick Lussier starring Bailee Madison and Jerry O’Connell.
The morgue is a very appetizing place in which to film a horror movie, this is very obvious. Besides, these locations are cheap, it is not necessary to reconstruct a ship nor pay millions to the actors. Several things are needed: actors that know how to act and do their best to stand out, a decent screenplay, committed production and, above all, a director that knows what he is doing.
Mr. Patrick Lussier, director of this film knows what he is doing.
Chloe, a criminology student, fakes her own death to sneak into the morgue and obtain some incriminating proof against her brother, but soon she discovers that the morgue is not the “party” she was expecting.
Movies are almost easy to make but it is hard for them to work out well: almost always people choose to take the easy path and spread blood on everything (if not combining comedy in them). In sum, by doing these things they make a fast buck and are not usually taken very seriously and, in most cases, there are great shortcomings in editing, sound, acting and, above all, imagination.
This does not happen with Play Dead, which is above all, a movie with very good rhytm. It is not absolutely original, but its director has the tempo under such good control in this classic horror and suspense formula that it simply works the way it should, with no shocks and without wanting to become a cult work: the movie knows how to behave, what buttons to press and scare the viewer at the right moment.
Play Dead has the virtue of not attempting to be what it is not: It wants to be a classical scary movie, with this brighter than average girl who runs into the typical blockhead and tries to escape from a …. Vivisection, no less.
Good actors, good Bailee Madison in her role as a pretty girl in difficulties, but above all, very good Jerry O’Connell, who plays an elegant role of psychopath very much in the vein of American Psycho, but as an organ dealer.
Good balance between dialogues and scenes.
On the other hand, don´t expect fireworks and artistic exploits with the camera: this is a movie created to please the fans, but this time this is done with quality, rhythm and a story, that although not very original, stands up with what it has.
Without attempting to offer us a memorable work, settles (perhaps too much so) for doing well in a minor film. Good acting in a movie in which its director, Patrick Lussier, earns his salary and of course, obtains another contract.
Because this guy knows how to do his job really well.
Patrick Lussier
Chris Lee
Chris Butler
Jorge-Luis Pallo
Josh Harp
Movie title: Play Dead
Movie description: Criminology student Chloe fakes her own death to break into a morgue, in order to retrieve a piece of evidence that ties her younger brother to a crime gone wrong. Once inside, she quickly learns that the fearsome Coroner uses the morgue as a front for a sick and twisted business. As a frightening game of cat and mouse ensues, Chloe will discover that the scariest thing about the morgue is not the dead, but the living.
Date published: January 23, 2023
Country: United States
Duration: 106 mins
Director(s): Patrick Lussier
Writer(s): Simon Boyes, Adam Mason
Cinematography: Mac Fisken
Music: Stephen Moore
Actor(s): Bailee Madison, Jerry O’Connell, Anthony Turpel, Sterling Beaumon, Jorge-Luis Pallo, Chris Butler, Greg Cornelius
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Companies: Green Light Pictures, Bradley Pilz Productions, Front Row Filmed Entertainment,
Our Opinion
Without attempting to offer us a memorable work, settles (perhaps too much so) for doing well in a minor film. Good acting in a movie in which its director, Patrick Lussier, earns his salary and of course, obtains another contract.
Your email address will not be published.
Night Train is a movie by Shane Stanley in which we can see Diora Baird in
Everybody loves an underdog story, we can all enjoy rooting for the little guy, especially when
Shotgun Wedding is a 2023 Prime Video comedy movie directed by Jason Moore starring Jennifer Lopez
Teen Wolf: The Movie is a movie directed by Russell Mulcahy starring Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed
You People is the upcoming Netflix comedy starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London and Eddie Murphy. It
© 2022 All Rights Reserved. Martin Cid Magazine.
