Dead Dicks (2019) User Reviews

It had so much potential...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 28 July 2020]

I stumbled upon the 2019 movie "Dead Dicks" in 2020, without ever having heard about it prior to sitting down to watch it. I read the synopsis for the movie, and thought that it sounded actually interesting enough. And I was intrigued as the cover read "a Cronenberg-inflected science-fiction piece".

Well, whomever created the cover sure was good at selling the movie. I will say that much. The movie wasn't "touching, powerful and emotional" as the cover brandished, nor did it "delivers on the creep factor" also as the cover brandished.

In fact, "Dead Dicks" turned out to be a very mediocre movie.

Sure, the concept idea of a guy dying and returning to life only to find the dead bodies of himself where he died was interesting, but the storyline just proved way too boring and mundane. And it didn't really help much that the characters were fairly bland. So I can't really say that writers and directors Chris Bavota and Lee Paula Springer managed to strike gold with what they had here.

The acting in the movie was adequate, and they fared well enough, given the fact that they had little to work with in terms of proper script and characters. The movie didn't have a great number of performers, so there was extra pressure on the few performers to do well.

I sat through the entire movie, but I must admit that I was only mildly entertained. And while the movie was watchable, this is hardly a movie that I will recommend to anyone. Nor is is a movie that I will ever be returning to watch a second time.

My rating of "Dead Dicks" is a very mediocre five out of ten stars.

A nice try on no budget

[habakukofice · 4/10 · 2 August 2020]

The whole movie is set in and around an apartment, with only three actors. They made a practical effect to attach to a wall, and had some make-up to make people look dead. With that they made a movie which is adequate, but has no frills.

The actors do a good job, but the plot doesn't have much for them to work with. The pacing makes the film feel less boring that it should, but there's only so much you can do with no resources and a moderately fleshed out idea.

Close to something great.

[Patient444 · 6/10 · 1 August 2020]

So I'm gonna say it and start directly with it: I believe the reason behind the movie's failure was mostly attributed to the small budget.

Well, I choose to believe that, even tho I've seen plenty of other such indie productions executed far better... Anyway, Dead Dicks was an unexpected surprise, it has a genuinely fresh plot, but unlike, say, The Visit, this one did not manage to balance the humor with horror quite well. A lot of scenes did make me chuckle but immediately I asked myself, if it is alright to do so. Is it in theme with the movie, does it do it on purpose, because it always felt a tad bit off.

The acting is sort of ok, there was room for improvement but I can take what I get in this case, I also appreciate how we do get some explanations here and there about the situation and believe it or not, they do come as natural. I managed to agree with them and take them for granted, as I wanted to see where does this little move take me to. The conclusion was another interesting idea thrown there, one that worked, so overall, I really can't tell you, beside the budget..maybe a different directorial vision was needed. Because the script itself came out as original, if you can believe that, it stretched the story a little and wasn't all locked in, the pacing was mostly ok, and yet, unbelievably, somehow it feels like it didn't deliver properly.

As a horror it is sort of impossible to recommend, but as a sci fi production, well that one hits the spot doesn't it. Anyway I do hope more people see it, because this and The Wave (2019) managed to keep me intrigued and left me in a pleasant state of mind. Dead Dicks, a lot of potential, and at least half of it got a decent representation.

Cheers!

Severely Anaemic & Flaccid...

[Xstal · 1/10 · 28 July 2020]

... just like Richard and his cadavers. Taking the Doctor Who concept of a crack in the wall but replacing it with a colon to rebirth Dick & Co. as they butcher their way through Death for Dummies.

WORST SCI-FI MOVIE EVER.

[timeryderandthechronoteens · 1/10 · 28 July 2020]

So basically, this suicidal loser (not a dig at suicidal people, this guy is genuinely also a loser) somehow has what appears to be a mix of that hyperdimensional thing from the twilight zone behind his bed.

I find many things wrong with this.

But worse, it turns out his sister accidentally drank one of his death potions and came back to life herself through the hellgina. Okay, so it works for anyone that dies in that apartment.

It also turns out that it goes all resident evil on you if someone dies and is brought back to life while it is birthing a new clone. seriously, the landlord just goes full on murder zombie until he just dies. like...wtf? you would think if there was someone or something at the other end of that hole in the wall, they'd have safeguards against that.

And finally, the movie ends with the most disappointing BS ending possible: the sister crawls into the hellgina, and finds herself surrounded by something that has her in stunned silence, but if you ever want to know what it is, no, because that would have been the movie's saving grace.

Oh and when she discovered you can't leave the apartment after being cloned, why did she not do the obvious thing and just call the cops? at least the landlord tried to before they stopped him.

Oh and he's not "surrounded" by dead copies of himself, he's got like four or five or so dead dupes of himself. And not for long since they hack the bodies up and toss them in a dumpster, which is the stupidest possible thing to do.

I REALLY dug this...

[flexpoint · 1 August 2020]

I wasn't expecting this movie to turn out as dramatic and emotional as it was but boy did it rock me. Super great job by the filmmakers here; creating something that was clearly a small scale budget into a really entertaining piece of scifi/horror. Reminds me of "Skeleton Twins". Not too many movies have this much heart in it, bravo to the actors especially the leading lady who makes you feel the burden of caring for a mentally ill brother in an endless loop of unstable behavior. The neighbor was also hilarious. Definitely an indie in every facet of the word, and that's what makes it special. A super promising debut for the directors and it will be interesting to see what they do on a larger scale.

Barely a horror effort, features some enjoyable elements but not much

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 5/10 · 29 July 2020]

After checking on her confused brother, a woman arrives in his apartment to look in on him only to find a series of his dead bodies lying around the apartment and a strange opening in the wall which allows him to be reborn every time he dies, forcing them to keep it from others.

This was a pretty solid and enjoyable effort. One of the strongest aspects here is the rather entertaining nature of exploiting the silly premise without going over-the-top into the ridiculous. Featuring a much more calculated and controlled manner to the idea of him coming back from the hole in the wall each time he kills himself, there's a lot to like with how this goes about introducing the concept of discovering that's what's going on as well as the eventual need for how to press on with their plan of disposing of the bodies lying around which need to be taken care. With the strange portal in the bedroom allowing for the dead to be reborn in the area all over again which is thankfully never brought up or explored in detail and just accepted. Combined with the nice gore and breezy running time, this one has some enjoyable elements. There are some problems with this one. The main issue is the bland and utterly dragged-out pacing that relies on uninteresting storylines to carry itself out. The whole thing about his mental problems just seems to grind the film to a half and inject far too realistic a tone for what is essentially a black comedy about discovering yourself in various parts of the apartment dead the entire time. The conversations are important but they're placed at such spots in the film where it loses the energy and momentum brought about by trying to get the concept going and it's distressing to get that taken away here. As well, that holds back the real out-and-out horror of the premise for long periods making for it not to come across as such at all despite the premise which can turn some off immensely. Otherwise, there isn't much else to this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and Full Frontal Male Nudity.

Good movie with a bad ending

[beingarijit · 6/10 · 31 July 2020]

The movie has potential, a thrilling and entertaining story, but the ending sucks

A true independant movie

[theunholy-1 · 5/10 · 15 September 2020]

A true independant movie, which means very little money, only a few people involved (around 25-30 based on the credits, actors included), probably volunteers for most of them.

It's REALLY hard to make a movie in such conditions. Usually the final result is a disaster. But in that case, they actually made a pretty decent movie. It must have been exhausting !

Good story with a bad ending. With a good ending, I would have given 6 stars.

Heston Horwin (Richie) did a very good job, Jillian Harris (Becca) could have done better. That being said, her performance was watchable, and it seems it was her first major role...

A rollercoaster

[mjsreg · 7/10 · 28 July 2020]

Right from the start you never really know which way the story will go. One second there is something incredibly funny, and the next you are taken in to the emotional turmoil of the relationship between brother and sister.

The acting is superb by all of the cast, and the story is solid and engaging from start to finish.

Well worth seeing.

A Great Idea but No Resolution

[rpaleschi · 4/10 · 5 September 2020]

I loved the look of this movie as it was something completely different, however it never really got going.

The real downer for me was the end, which didn't provide any answers and just cut to black with no resolution to the story.

Very average at best.

Great Storytelling That Has Heart

[dar-23580 · 9/10 · 20 September 2020]

Dead Dicks was introduced to me by a friend. I wasn't sure what I was getting from the title alone, but was pleasantly surprised. Having never heard of the actors or the directors I wanted to do some research after seeing the movie. First off this film has the heart of a sci-fi film from either early Cronenberg or Kubrick. The story is wound tightly around the love and relationship of a hard working, dedicated sister and a complete failure of a brother. This movie poses the question of what if I can never die, but what if I can also never change who I am. Serious mental illness is addressed in this film and you leave feeling like everyone involved had a story to tell about depression in their own lives. This married couple of co-directors is headed for big things and we are looking forward to whatever that might be. #dadsthatdrink

Brilliant concept on a limited budget does well.

[mulcahyj-07545 · 6/10 · 17 February 2021]

The negatves?. Obviously this is a low budget film, obvious by the limited locations and characters. Some of the dialogue is quite poor and also their actions and choices, some of which are..unusual. The positives? Brilliant concept. I can't think of another film that uses the basis of the script. So in my opinion very original so thought provoking. So much to the extent that you would consider your choices and actions. Yes the unfeasibly shock of the concept is accepted by one, or two (or more!) a bit too quickly. But the core plot itself quite well unfocused you from that. Don't expect any explanation of what is happening. If the film did it would collapse. A relatively short running time doesn't give you enough time to consider it and actually gives you thoughts of what the reality, the possibilities maybe just the mind blowing concept. Not a plot spoiler but also a positive for me is the low budget maybe gives it no CGI and any special effects, this is not a plot spoiler obvious early on, are done in a physical not a computer generated way. After watching I considered, and will, watching it again. You will not get all the answers served on a plate to you here. That is probably one of the best elements of the film. The film manages to be quite deep thinking and fast moving at the same time. The two blend well together. It has a lot of amusement too from your reaction to events. This wasn't done on a huge budget. But as I say the core of the script is so entertaining, original and unlikely it is manages not to make me find it a great watch. My fear is a studio will grab it, remake it and ruin it. Interestingly in UK it is called Dead D.... which confused me in to giving it a go in the first place. I prefer that title. It becomes clear what it is actually called very quickly! I hope my review has given you an insight, but no spoilers which is difficult in a review, and know enough to know if you will enjoy it or not. For anyone it does attract I hope it surprises, entertains, make you ponder possibilities when you are actually watching and are entertained as much as me.

Great concept, terrible and I mean terrible delivery (no pun intended)..

[dagallop · 3/10 · 25 August 2020]

What did I just watch??

There are some great bits but they are overshadowed by the 'not so great' bits and there are a lot more of them.

The acting is, well, okay. But the script doesn't help, there are times when you wonder if the writers thought; "oh, that pause was way too long, let's fill it with something, literally, anything"!

The fact that it all takes place in a room or two, occasionally the stairwell and at one point they almost get outside, but that is a fleeting instant so it doesn't really count, is a tribute to the actors. They keep the scenes rolling one way or another and it works.

This was 'over sold' and that harmed it. They would have been better stating this is an indie movie that explores a weird concept and circumstance. It would have got better reviews from real people if it had been promoted as it was, rather than the inferences that it was Cronenberg'esq'!

Synopsis: not a great movie, mediocre and reasonably well acted. The story is 'interesting' but not enough to justify some of the reviews. I believe giving three stars may have been a little generous but I don't feel like I wasted 90 minutes of my life, I just wish I'd have done something more productive such as wash the car!

Has a lot of moxie, a big heart, but not even a whiff of 'cosmic horror'

[rgeneson-15929 · 3/10 · 10 August 2020]

It REALLY helps to look into the back-story of the film before watching it so you can level-set your expectations.

Everyone involved does an admirable job, especially the two leads who take a locked-room melodrama and breathe some amount of reality and gravitas into a very, very thin plot. Given the surreal nature of the action, the sets and special effects are surprisingly easy to suspend disbelief around.

The focus on dealing with a mentally ill family member is intriguing but the attempt to weave that driving theme into the 'horror' story never gels and leaves the later feeling tacked on. For the film makers this was a big swing and, for me, it was a miss but I can definitely see why those who are gushing about it are doing so. I'll definitely be checking out their next project.

If you're an under-funded film crew looking for inspiration there's plenty to find. If you just want to find an entertaining drama to spend an hour and a half watching you'll probably leave a bit disappointed but the cupboards are pretty bare right now so it could be worth your time. If you're looking for a cosmic horror fix I strongly recommend just re-reading The Repairer of Reputations instead.

Just another bad movie trying to hide behind the excuse of a low budget

[carlos-pires · 1/10 · 9 August 2020]

This would be worth 5 starts out of 5, if it was a 15 minute art school short. As a would-be full length feature film, it fails completely. A plot with no purpose, just a mildly novel gimmick. A motley cast: a mildly competent male lead, an incompetent female lead whose performance every so often makes you cringe, plus one supporting male stump. I do blame the bad performances on the direction. Any director worth his salt would be able to get infinitely better performances even from these amateurs. But the plot, the script, the direction, the editing... it all falls short. And in the end, you don't come out enriched with a new idea or anything stimulating. You come out with less 80 minutes to live. Maybe that's the whole point of the plot: the characters keep getting their life back, while you're losing yours watching this crap...

A basic B flat movie

[killercharm · 5/10 · 18 August 2020]

Competently made, well-acted, but with a nowhere fast ending. A busy, put-upon college student/waitress is summoned to her brother's apartment by his many frantic calls. Upon arrival at his garret she discovers his cadaver hanging in the closet. BUT moments later he walks through the door. Also there's a big ugmo "art" on the wall that does...what?

those doing under 5 stars have a genre problem more than movie problem

[jzskinner · 6/10 · 7 October 2022]

Where to begin, I am almost as fascinated with the huge difference in the reviews as the film. People going one or zero stars, I can't figure that. I loved the concept, and the acting was nowhere close to as bad as some people are whining over. As far as people comparing it to something else, like the odd Dr Who comparison I read, we are a world with five millennia of recorded words, much of which is fictional, there is no such thing as purely original ideas.

As far as the realization of the idea, I have a few issues there. First, I don't ever really like comedy in my sci fi or horror unless its up front known, like say Shaun of the Dead. If I had come to IMDB first I would never have watched because it lists comedy in with the other genre's. Having accidentally not known I watched this gem and really didn't find anything comical about it. The few things that likely give people that designation is just the design of the hole and the disturbing idea, not funny one, that watching his hysterical sister cry over his believed corpse gives him a raging hard on. That he seems to be pretty eager to share with everyone, everyone being just corpses and his sister. That could be handled in a funny way I guess, but this film doesn't do obvious comedic flair, so that was just waaaaaaaay out of place, both times. Unless it was some inside joke it literally looked more like the actor just wanted to be exhibitionist for no reason plotwise.

That said, the whole debate between is the wall this or that body part, also not exactly any funny enough for me to make sound over, and revisiting the "joke" didn't make it funnier. I wouldn't care at all about that except that the vague sorta cop out of an ending brings you back to how it no longer matters what it was, is or looked like because now its just a mcguffin with zero meaning and some pulsing lights and different colored slime that tell you.......... Now that the anger is gone, the good parts. Lead actor is quite good all around. With no effect budget and one set locale for most of the film, its hard to get a straightforward story across well to the viewer without boring them with verbal plot devices or confusing the hell out of them. This film, if the budget is even close to true, does amazing at telling their story, whether a perfect story or no, in a way you can enjoyably follow and it is far from straightforward. Its as straight as a figure 8. I know that was a herculean task and recognize how easily this could have been another one I got no further than thirty minutes into.

I loved this and was at a minimum six stars regardless of ending when he locked her into the room and did his confessional, which was waaaay too metaphorically the whole story of the movie. At that moment I knew the end was blown. I think there are good times for open endings, and there are bad. However, vague endings are not really forgivable unless the whole effort is deliberately unserious. That means that for ninety percent of this movie I was thoroughly entertained and still excited for the end. To me that makes it worth watching. In fact, take out the comedy and give em enough money to gloss and pretty it up and its just as good as "The Night House" with Rebecca Hall. That movie has a very high rating, but it also had a significantly stronger premise than ending, in every way the ending disappointed me. This leading lady is no Rebecca Hall yet, few ever are, but the filmmakers and her are doing some heavy lifting to make this idea work onscreen so they do deserve the comparison in my view.

Amateur Film

[Jimmy_JimJim · 2/10 · 14 August 2020]

This movie feels like a high school film project/an amateur film. The acting is weak, the actors are rigid and just read off the script, very difficult to watch.... The jokes are dumb and feel forced, it is like they pause after each punch line to give you time to laugh but the way they delivered it is just not funny... Special effects are weak, the plot moves painfully slow, camera angles, lighting are off ... I stop watching after 15 minutes.

Good idea with a big but

[pelin-syilmaz · 3/10 · 2 September 2020]

That movie could be both hilariously funny and damn scary. Lack of both. It seems to me that there are some serious boring dialogues and dark holes in the script. I thought about what if Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes rocked that whole idea. If anyone out there who wants to see a movie about a guy who can't himself, there is Guinea Pig 3: He Never Dies.

LOVE the editing

[edmundorosa-74459 · 10/10 · 1 August 2020]

Great movie :) great stuff done with not a lot of money, and in the moment with the pandemic coming out still very strong, awarded horror film, great viewing :) choo choooo - only for the wise

quite an intense experience in a small space

[tazkykamen · 5/10 · 29 June 2023]

A likable low-budget chamber urban fantasy drama with an even more likable Jillian Harris about one "body" opening and a metaphor? (the protagonist's inability to leave the apartment) about psychological problems. The film could have benefited from more effects and action in the second half and less blah blah chatter, but in terms of atmosphere and sound, it is handled perfectly. Jillian Harris dominates the acting and it's a shame that the director didn't develop her humorous accent, which he shows only in hints. The clichéd neurotic relationship between brother and sister sounds a bit empty, like the whole conclusion, but it is sufficient for the needs of such a genre film.

almost ok... but not really.

[elle-six · 3/10 · 21 February 2021]

Is it just me or title character is a totally annoying? if i were to do something that could gets me arrested, i wouldnt attract the slightest attention from neighbors. any idiot would know that... but not this guy. interesting concept but character is terrible. this movie is trying to be funny.... but im too frustrated to even chuckle. and the music.... so annoyingly loud even at the beginning. its not funny.

Not scary weird horror-comedy (or did they really mean this seriously?!)

[johannes2000-1 · 3/10 · 12 April 2022]

At many times I thought: is this movie meant as a joke?!? To begin with the title "Dead Dicks", apart from the attractive alliteration and the reference to short for Richard (the main character's name) there seems to be an obvious sexual pun intended, but if so a rather childish one.

Apart from the grotesque, almost gothic horror-aspects of the story, most of the bickering between brother and sister, as well as the goings-on with the angry neighbor, is clearly meant as comical. So again: did the makers maybe aim at some kind of horror-parody or comedy? If so, the pivotal subject of a person who, overcome by severe depressions, wants to commit suicide, seems to me a strange and disrespectful choice.

The premise of the movie could, very remotely, have interesting potential, but in the execution almost everything fails: the pace is way too slow, the dialogues are terrible, the action is mostly dull and repeats itself over and over, and the acting, though well-meant, is below par. What only stands out is the gore (though in most instances more suggested than graphically shown), and a few well done special effects, such as the birth of a new body covered in slimy membranes, or the copied body of the neighbor running around with half a head. But for the rest I just watched in a state of continuous amazement, and (whether it was meant to be serious horror or parody or both) without either being scared or being amused.

i guess youve never seen a plot like this lately...

[ops-52535 · 9/10 · 29 July 2020]

And If that doesnt sound good enough for you i canthelp you because this smallcast lowbudget psychohollistic recreational funfare of explosive originality of a horror psychoslashergory comedy sci-fi has it all, all except special effects and romance. the score are rude and grafts your skin into kingdom come of hells condemoniun, making this young unhealthy mans flat into his oyster of love ,hell and rebirth. i shall not cut the tree sap of plot information totally, just say its engaging, interesting pure total madness.

and the best part of it is the acting. the male and female mains are pretty novel on my calendar, but they act as if they where heavy weighters in the business and born for the roles. they are siblings and they act, yes , just like siblings do. if they are not in for some hollywood castline in the near future, well then hollywood should hide in the hole in the wall, because these actors does make sense.

i know that i, the grumpy old man gets totally overexhagerated when watching real originality and really good acting, there are just a small wish from me to the makers, they should pay respect to all the viewers that felt utterly gobsmacked by the introvert ending by making a sequel to fill the still unused and empty ganglions thats left over in the human mind. . its a surprising recommend