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.

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.

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.

As others mentioned,which is true.. Wasn't bad or good,but until you get into discovering the coroner's evil side-business it was passable.

Unfortunately it starts falling apart with plot holes,clichés & eye roll moments.. Yes! It's a movie,but still something to be said about keeping it real.

It was cast & acting was average,as was the cinematography. Felt on the higher end,of low-budget or quality. This could of been so much better,it had actual potential. Maybe location,script,cast or director changes might of helped.

Is it worth seeing? Sure if you like,Tubi originals or any of the cast members.

The movie has so many parts of the story that make no sense and aren't plausible in any way. Having said that if you can get past that and suspend reality for an hour and a half it's entertaining. Bailee Madison does a great job as always and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Jerry O'Connell plays the creepy Coroner really well. The twist at the end involving the police officer really isn't a twist since you can see it coming a mile away. Overall, if you have an evening to spend and are looking for a movie to watch, you can do much worse than this if you're willing to accept the unbelievable story.