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Trailer for Shudder’s “THE DEAD THING” reveals the darkest side of the dating scene

Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | News

By MICHAEL GINGOLD

A potential suitor becomes a nightmare in the movie debuting on Valentine’s Day.

Shudder begins streaming THE DEAD THING on Friday, February 14. Directed by popular film podcaster and moviemaker Elric Kane from a script he wrote with Webb Wilcoxen, it stars Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, John Karna, Katherine Hughes, Brennan Mejia, Joey Millin and Aerial Washington. The synopsis: “Alex [Hunt] is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man, Kyle [Smith-Petersen]. Despite their passionate night, when the sun rises, the mystery man is nowhere to be found. Alex then sets out to find the one person who made her feel alive. Through her investigation, she reconnects with Kyle, but also digs up a ghastly supernatural secret. The pair quickly descend into a whirlwind of obsession, dependence, lust, and infatuation that has grave consequences.”

Michael Gingold
Michael Gingold (RUE MORGUE's Head Writer) has been covering the world of horror cinema for over three decades, and in addition to his work for RUE MORGUE, he has been a longtime writer and editor for FANGORIA magazine and its website. He has also written for BIRTH.MOVIES.DEATH, SCREAM, IndieWire.com, TIME OUT, DELIRIUM, MOVIEMAKER and others. He is the author of the AD NAUSEAM books (1984 Publishing) and THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO MONSTER MOVIES (FAB Press), and he has contributed documentaries, featurettes and liner notes to numerous Blu-rays, including the award-winning feature-length doc TWISTED TALE: THE UNMAKING OF "SPOOKIES" (Vinegar Syndrome).