Richard Crouse

SYNOPSIS: In “Dead Lover,” a new arthouse horror now playing in theatres, a gravedigger goes to extreme lengths to reanimate the love of her life after he drowns at sea.

CAST: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Leah Doz, Lowen Morrow. Directed by Grace Glowicki.

REVIEW: Absurd and gross, “Dead Lover” is a truly unique film. Fueled by imagination and owing a tip of the hat to everyone from Mary Shelley and German Expressionism to Avant-Garde Theater and DIY exploitation movies, it is ingenious and original but also the very definition of movie that will not be for everyone.

The action takes place in an otherworldly Victorian setting. A Gravedigger, played by co-writer and director Grace Glowicki, longs for love, but the stench of death that surrounds her keeps suitors away. (Some theatrical screenings even come with a “Stink-O-Vision” card to enhance the narrative effect.)

Her love life takes a turn, appropriately enough, at a funeral when an aristocratic poet (Ben Petrie) gets a whiff of her and finds himself attracted to her reek. They’re perfect for one another, but their torrid affair is ended when he drowns at sea, leaving behind only memories and a severed finger.

Overcome by grief, the Gravedigger performs experiments on the finger, hoping to regrow her lover using his scant remains, stolen corpses and potions. When the experiments yield unexpected results, the Gravedigger is forced into a world where desire has grave consequences.

Visually and performance wise “Dead Lover” resembles an experimental black box theatre production. With minimal sets and few props, the stagey look is definitely DIY in its lo-fi aesthetic. But minimum set dec doesn’t mean minimum impact. The film’s look is startling, an artful combination of dollar store props and practical effects that serves as an appropriately artificial backdrop for the broad performances, which owe a debt to silent movie acting as much as it does to clowning.

The cumulative effect of the visuals, the unusual performances and story will either be magical or off-putting, depending on your tolerance for bawdy body horror.

Ultimately “Dead Lover’s” story is a tender one about love and desire in all their forms, but as intriguing as the presentation is, it feels like a novelty whose appeal wanes as the runtime approaches the end credits.