Play Dead

Medical student Chloe Albright (Bailee Madison) has money troubles. Unbeknownst to her, her brother and her boyfriend try to rob a dispensary. It goes badly and the boyfriend gets killed. Chloe has to play dead to sneak into the morgue and retrieve his phone which would lead back to her and her brother. Jerry O'Connell plays the creepy coroner.

On its surface, the premise seems like fine horror fare, but it really doesn't hold water. The attempted robbery would result in an investigation. It's an open case which needs to exonerate the shooter. They would need a much bigger conspiracy to hide a body from a case like this. He's not some forgotten homeless John Doe. The basic premise is problematic. The other problem is the lack the visual ingenuity or horror inventiveness. The filmmaking is weak. Bailee and Jerry do some fine work, but there is nothing much more that. It's a B-horror with problems.

For the budget and premise this movie actually is pretty entertaining. Granted there are some pretty bad plot holes around character decisions and a few other things, but I found myself engaged( mostly from the increasing tension and acting.

The lead female does a fantastic job and is able to showcase her range here. I could see her leading a few bigger budget films soon.

The movie overall has some bad scenes (like the first scene) but don't let that put you off. Once it gets going it's pretty entertaining with some solid gore and a few minor twists. I think the production was well executed. I could see shudder or Amazon prime picking this up soon. 6.5/10.

The movie was rather well done, if slow at times.

Obviously, much of what happens in this movie wouldn't be possible in real life, but that's the point of movies is it not?

The acting is good, and there is more than enough suspense to keep you watching. At times it was slow, but it is still worth watching I think.

If you like movies like "Hush" or "Dont Breathe" then this is along the lines of something you may enjoy.

I will say that it is rather predictable, but if you're alright with that sort of thing don't pass up 'Play Dead'.

Quick Summary: Predictable and slow at times, but still worth watching.

It started out quite well, but then quickly turned into a cliche. There's absolutely nothing surprising or noteworthy, you can pretty much figure out the whole plot and even the twists within the first few minutes of the film.

Suspensewise, it was also quite predictable so honestly my heart rate never increased. I mean, compare to suspense from A Quiet Place or Don't Breathe, this film hardly creates a jitter. It is more of a gross type of film where you see a lot of blood, the cutting up of bodies, than it is about actual psychological thriller and even jump scare.

The only point that is noteworthy is the great performance by Jerry O'connell. The moment he came on the screen, you can feel his command of the movie. However, the most impressive of his performance was when he spoke; strong, articulate, and cerebral.

Overall a bore of a movie that you might share with some friends while eating pizza and stuff.

4/10.

Even with the 100% implausible plot and situations, it actually held my attention until the very end. There are scenes that are nicely done and the suspense is through the roof. There are other scenes that you simply have to suspend all disbelief and just be entertained. The final battle between the heroine and the maniac coroner ends in a very well done makeup effect that is both gruesome and also a lesson in anatomy. Although I wasn't familiar with the lead actress, she did well in the role. Most will recognize the evil coroner, Jerry O'Connell, from television and other movies. His deadpan delivery and reserved portrayal was effective.