 | MOVIE DETAILS • Name: Dead & Beautiful • Year: 2021 • Country: Netherlands, Taiwan • Director: David Verbeek • Main cast: Gijs Blom, Philip Juan, Anna Marchenko, Yen Tsao, Aviis Zhong • Runtime: 98 minutes • Production company: Lemming Film, House on Fire International • TRAILER
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Dead & Beautiful (2021) was a good surprise. From the plot and the trailer, I expected it to be another fancy-stylish teen horror with young bratty rich characters doing as they please and causing all kinds of trouble. But, happily, what I faced here was a very mature and meditated film, with well-developed characters, and a big bunch of surprises that make this movie something special.
The plot is quite simple but yet promising. 5 youngsters are the heirs of big family fortunes, and they meet in the streets of Taiwan to make turns to amuse each other. They are young, rich, and bored. So much wealth and they don’t know what to do with their lives anymore. Their studies are out of boredom since they will never have to fight for a job, and traveling or hitting the most exclusive clubs is not amusing anymore. They need new experiences, something out of the normal, something that is only in the hands of a few. So they become vampires.
Then, one could think the kids would devote themselves to orgies of flesh and blood, and use the population of the big city as their personal cattle, but it is not this kind of movie. The tone of the film stays intriguing but deep serious, some cruel actions are done but the young kids are well aware of their consequences. And this is what makes this movie to outstand from the rest.
The five main characters are the protagonists of a love pentagon, while they try to discover who they really are and what are the moral limits and implications of their new condition. The five actors accomplish their duty perfectly, imprinting the right emotions in the right moments, keeping the audience related to the story at all times.
The story and screenplay of Dead & Beautiful (2021) are built in a smart and attractive way, showing all the cards in its hand at the right moment, unleashing surprises when they are less expected, and keeping the interest through the entire running time. David Verbeek, a Dutch writer, and director that has developed all his film career in China and Taiwan is responsible to bring this engaging balance to the movie. A big step forward as a writer and director, and without a doubt one of the young filmmakers whose upcoming works will deserve attention.
In Dead & Beautiful (2021), every frame is a postcard, and every sentence spoken is well thought out. It is attractive and dynamic, very well-acted, and the story flows smoothly without any weak points. The movie premieres in Shudder on November 4, 2021, so without any hesitation catch it if you can.
RATE: 6.5/10
IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt10639214
