Deadgirl

There has been strong reaction in the horror world over Deadgirl and rightfully so. I listened to the podcasts that hailed this movie as a must see for all horror fan and read the blogs that said this movie is disgusting, vile and should have never been made. Thanks to Netflix Watch Instantly feature I was able to see this film and judge for myself.

Deadgirl is the story of JT and Rickie, two high school aged boys and best friends. They are the loser, stoner kids from broken homes who, one fateful day cuts class and decided to go drink some beer in an abandon asylum. After exploring the asylum while breaking things and vandalizing it they decide to explore the basment area. It is behind a locked, rusted door they find the Deadgirl strapped to a table and covered by a clear plastic sheet.

I could go into the character development and the moral and ethical choices that were made by each character, but I thought the ending was kind of predictable when I sat and thought about it for a minute. What else would the viewer expect would happen to Rickie in that given situation?

The thing about Deadgirl that struck me was The Deadgirl herself. Jenny Spain plays The Deadgirl, a grunting, growling ferral creature that still somehow seems more human than the boys. The thing is, had The Deadgirl not been dead, but mearly a girl strapped to a table that these boys came across Jenny Spain might be up for an Oscar for best actress. But throw in the blatant necrophilia and many critics and some audiences run the other way screaming in terror.

Don't get me wrong, this was not easy to watch from the safety and comfort of my own couch. I can only imagine the embarrassment and awkwardness of watching this film in a crowded theater. There were scenes that made bile rise in my throat. Several times I had to stop myself from turning it off altogether. However, I'm glad I didn't. It's taken several days to be able to put into words my gut reaction to this movie and I still don't think I can say what I want to say about it.

This movie is unflinching in it's cruelty and inhumanity that is perpetrated by the humans. This is one of the best movies I have ever scene. This is not a zombie film, this is not a horror film in the classic or even modern sense. This film is scary as hell and a must see.