Who can forgetOscar-nominee Ralph Fiennes' glorious introduction in the beloved filmIn Bruges(2008), when he receives a troubling call and proceeds to smash his telephone again and again in a fit of rage. His wife storms in and yells, “It’s an inanimate fing object!” And he immediately fires back, “You’rean inanimate fing object!” Years later, it’s this exact kind of “inanimate object” that has spawned all sorts of changes, conveniences, and problems in our lives, practically becoming more “animate” in the process. The power of phones, particularly mobiles and how much power they have at any given moment in our lives, informs the creepy new thriller,The Dead Thing.
Perhaps you’ve received the advice, “Still single? Get on the apps!” Followed by, “But be careful out there…” Well, which is it, friends and family? Leave it to the streaming platform Shudder to broach any number of current trends when it comes to horror offerings, and next up comes modern dating — and the potential dangers tied to it.The Dead Thingarrives just in time forValentine’s Day, in case any horror fansout there want a break from rom-coms come mid-February. The new satirical thriller from New Zealand filmmaker Elric Kane explores pertinent themes of romantic relationships in the modern era, including toxic codependence and traumatic obsession. Sure, you’ll probably be able to predict what’s coming by the story’s third act, but you can still buckle up for a feisty and seductive treat.
Related:Every Movie Coming to Shudder in February 2025
The Dead Thing
Alex is the dater in focus forThe Dead Thing, played with a luring intensity by Blu Hunt. Her lifestyle perfectly fits the mold of a chilly Shudder entry: Alex’s day job is actually nights at an office, scanning documents with a creep (Joey Millin) of the same age who has the hots for her. Alex’s free time is spent DIY-tanning at home in front of an eery UV light, in between hopelessly scrolling through dating apps. “I’ll take a better lifestyle for a thousand, Alex!” you might find yourself shouting at the screen in a clichédJeopardyvoice. But beneath the melancholia is a bright and intelligent spirit — you can tell by her sly comebacks and the way she can read people, be it a no-good colleague or another strikeout connection via the apps.
Every Movie Coming to Shudder in February 2025
Whether viewers plan to watch something alone or with a partner, Shudder has every type of frightening film they could want this month.
But then, Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen) comes along and shakes things up in Alex’s universe. He’s not just handsome, but intoxicating — with a certain mysterious intrigue that only fuels Alex’s drive to take him home for a sleepless night in bed. But all good things must come to an end, as they say, and Ben is nowhere to be found the next morning. In fact, Alex even goes so far as to try and track Ben down at his workplace when he soon ceases to respond to her texts. That’s when things start to spiral, as Alex ultimately receives devastating news about Ben that creates additional unanswered questions about what exactly happened to this mystery man, who had finally made Alex feel alive again…
Romantic Fixations
Soon, when she’s not conducting a DIY investigation in her free time, Alex is juggling a charming new office coworker named Chris (John Karna), who takes a liking to Alex that may even be reciprocated — if not for Alex’s never-ending yearning for Ben’s doomed likeness. Plus, Alex’s lovestruck roommate Cara (Katherine Hughes) has her own sort of unhealthy love fixation, hers tied to getting married in the near future to her boyfriend (who she constantly fights with).
13 Best Horror Romance Movies, Ranked
Despite being considered as the most detached from other movie genres, horror successfully encapsulates a fusion of other genres.
Cara appears to have already picked out her wedding dress and everything, which begs the question: At what cost will she try and tie the knot, simply to satisfy her longtime desire to become a married woman? And similarly, at what cost will Alex sacrifice the promising dynamic in front of her (coworker Chris) to try and reclaim that one-off feeling of passion with Ben, who may just be a haunting memory of the past?
Be Careful What You Fall For…
The Dead Thingwill effectively strike a nerve in millennials and even the Gen Z crowd still on the dating scene, perhaps those scarred and fractured by tumultuous relationships that led to head-spinning dependence, paranoia, and more. It’s the stuff therapy’s made for. And even when director Kane’s new thriller — which occasionally falls victim to formulaic plot developments anyone could see coming — takes on a supernatural component, the themes rather soar to new heights instead of pulling away from us.
10 Horror Romance Movies and TV Shows to Watch on Netflix
Together, horror and romance make these Netflix movies and TV shows as captivating as they are unsettling.
Yes, Ben doesn’t exactly disappear from Alex’s world completely, just as past loves don’t exactly evacuate our brains permanently after a hard breakup. No spoilers, but Alex finds a bizarre way to keep the alluring Ben in her world while juggling life outside the bedroom. The main problem withThe Dead Thing, however, is that most of the story beats and supporting players outside Alex & Ben (and their bedtime) are somewhat forgettable and sometimes downright unappealing.
Even Alex’s new flame, Chris, leaves a bad taste in our mouth upon his entrance into her world, with an appalling dick joke in the office to try and break the ice and shoot his shot. The ever alluring stars Hunt and Smith-Peterson shine, meanwhile, successfully spotlighting a modern, tortured-love dynamic that could even leave room for a sequel if this firstDead Thingstrikes that nerve in enough sorrowed love birds out there.The Dead Thingwill begin streaming on February 14 on Shudder.
