'Play Dead' (2023) Movie Review

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.

Storyline

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.

Movie Review

Play Dead pelicula blumhouse — Play Dead (2023)

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.

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.

Because this guy knows how to do his job really well.