A Gothic Romance Gone Completely Off the Rails

MOVIE REVIEWS
Dead Lover
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Genre: Horror, Comedy, Romance
Year Released: 2025, 2026
Runtime: 1h 23m
Director(s): Grace Glowicki
Writer(s): Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie
Cast: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Leah Doz, Lowen Morrow
Where to Watch: in select theaters March 20, 2026

RAVING REVIEW: Some filmmakers build their careers by refining familiar ideas. Others seem far more interested in dissecting those ideas and seeing what strange, fascinating ideas emerge from the wreckage. DEAD LOVER lands in the latter category and then some, a deliriously oddball horror romance that feels less like a traditional film and more like a midnight-movie fever dream assembled by a group of artists who refused to play by anyone else's rules.

Written, directed by, and starring Grace Glowicki, this wildly unconventional feature introduces viewers to a protagonist whose love life has been sabotaged by a rather unfortunate occupational hazard. She is a gravedigger, and one who quite literally smells like death. Corpses cling to her clothes and presence, making romantic prospects difficult to come by. Yet when she finally meets someone who not only tolerates her but seems drawn to her strange aura, a whirlwind romance blossoms with surprising tenderness.

That happiness collapses quickly when her lover dies in an accident, leaving her with little more than grief, obsession, and a single physical remnant of the relationship. Refusing to accept the finality of death, she embarks on a series of increasingly bizarre scientific experiments aimed at resurrecting him. What follows is less a conventional story and more an escalating cascade of absurd, grotesque, and often hilarious attempts to conquer mortality.

Glowicki approaches the material with commitment. Her performance as the desperate gravedigger is unapologetically theatrical, leaning into exaggerated gestures, wildly shifting accents, and a sense of physical comedy that feels rooted as much in stage tradition as in cinema. The performance is intentionally heightened, almost cartoonish at times, yet it remains strangely heartfelt throughout.

That style extends across the entire film. DEAD LOVER feels deliberately artificial in the best possible way. The sets often resemble stages, with stark backgrounds and handmade production elements that highlight the film’s DIY spirit rather than hide it. Instead of chasing realism, the movie embraces the vibe, turning it into a creative playground. The film’s visual style mirrors that philosophy. Bright lighting shifts, bold color choices, and playful editing create an atmosphere that constantly reminds viewers they’re watching a piece of constructed storytelling. Yet rather than breaking immersion, that overt stylization becomes part of the fun. The film invites the audience to participate in its bizarre world rather than passively observe it.

Much of that world revolves around Glowicki’s character and her obsessive determination to rebuild the man she lost. The process involves strange experiments, electrical contraptions, and bodily fragments that would make even the most seasoned horror fans raise an eyebrow. It’s grotesque, yes, but the film never loses sight of the emotional motivation behind the madness.

DEAD LOVER is about grief refusing to behave. The protagonist’s refusal to let go of her lover becomes both tragic and comedic. Her actions grow increasingly absurd, yet the impulse driving them remains relatable. Loss often pushes people toward irrational decisions, and Glowicki explores that idea through a lens of macabre humor.

The supporting cast plays an equally important role in maintaining the film’s off-kilter tone. Ben Petrie embodies the doomed romantic poet, blending sincerity and playful melodrama, making his brief yet pivotal presence resonate throughout the story. Leah Doz and Lowen Morrow contribute to the film’s constantly shifting ensemble energy, stepping into multiple roles that reinforce the film’s theatrical roots. That ensemble dynamic adds to the sense that DEAD LOVER emerged from a tight-knit creative collective. The film feels collaborative and handmade, as though the performers are experimenting alongside the audience. There’s an infectious joy in watching artists push boundaries simply because they can.

Glowicki’s direction thrives on unpredictability. Scenes often shift tone rapidly, bouncing from sincere emotional moments to outrageous physical comedy within seconds. The result is a film that constantly keeps the audience guessing what bizarre turn might come next. Yet beneath all the chaos lies a surprising sense of coherence. DEAD LOVER repeatedly returns to the idea that love and death have always been intertwined in storytelling. Gothic literature, classic horror cinema, and romantic tragedy all share that fascination with devotion that refuses to die.

Glowicki embraces those influences while filtering them through a distinctly modern, rebellious sensibility. The film feels deeply aware of horror traditions while simultaneously poking fun at them. It’s a tribute to the genre’s history that refuses to treat that history with solemn reverence. The film’s modest scale ultimately becomes one of its greatest strengths. With a small cast and limited sets, DEAD LOVER focuses entirely on creativity, performance, and sheer imaginative audacity. It proves that originality often thrives when filmmakers work within tight constraints. That freedom also allows the film to embrace its strangest moments without apology.

The result is a film that will undoubtedly divide audiences. Some viewers may find the manic energy overwhelming, while others will celebrate its fearless embrace of the bizarre. Either reaction feels like a victory for a project that clearly set out to challenge expectations rather than meet them. What’s impossible to deny is the film's personality. DEAD LOVER radiates the kind of artistic voice that independent cinema thrives on. Glowicki approaches filmmaking like an experiment, pushing every scene toward something stranger, louder, and more unexpected than the last.

For viewers willing to surrender to its madness, the experience becomes exhilarating. DEAD LOVER plays like a midnight screening waiting to happen, a film destined to attract audiences who crave cinema that feels dangerous, anarchic, and unapologetically different. Glowicki has created something that refuses to sit and behave within the boundaries of conventional horror or comedy. Instead, DEAD LOVER exists in its own bizarre corner of genre filmmaking, a place where romance, decay, theatricality, and pure creative chaos collide.

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[photo courtesy of FEATURED CREATURES, YELLOW VEIL PICTURES, DWECK PRODUCTIONS]

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