Dead Girl

This smells like teen spirit,first time loves, death and decay

Directed by: Marcel Sarmiento, Gadi Harel
Starring: Shiloh Fernandez, Noah Segan, Candice Accola, Jenny Spain

 I recall one day in my pre teen days my friends and I had sneaked into a secret fort built by the older teen aged boys in our neighbourhood. We had no idea of the activities that took place inside the walls that were off limits to us. But on that one specific summer day we had a hint of braveness or was it stupidity? We entered where we were forbidden, and to our astonished pre puberty eyes we discovered the holey grail  of any young boy, that's right, porn. A stack of magazines consisting of Playboys, Penthouse, Hustler and some we've never heard of before. I quickly stuffed my hungry eyes as full as I could, not knowing when the owners would return and trying to avoid the inevitable beating that would follow if caught. I don't know if my friends ever did go back but I know I never did. Yeah, I was afraid of the older boys but felt more intimidated by the female body than a good rough housing, although I was intrigued by those pictures. The two main characters of Dead Girl also stumble upon something that awakens their sexual appetite. Unlike the moldy smelling periodicals we found, these guys stumble onto the mother lode.
J.T. and Ricky are two seventeen year old boys, friends since child hood. They are the types who enjoy partying it up and don't take school very serious. Ricky (Fernandez ) has a crush on Joann ( Accola ) who just happens to be dating the quarterback of the football team. This set up makes way for a typical high school drama cliche, the jocks versus the stoners, other than this there is nothing else typical in this unconventional character study of first time love.
One day the two friends decide to skip classes and drink some beer instead, J.T. ( Segan ) insists on having their little party at the condemned mental hospital. After a couple of brewskies they find they need to smash some windows and cause havoc onto the abandoned building. J.T. recommends they go to the wing where the real dangerous patients were held. Fleeing to safety after being chased by a rapid guard dog, the boys discover a sealed door. Prying the locked door open the two AWOL students discover a naked, dead girl shackled to a gurney  by all four of her limbs.If you havn't seen this little hidden gem yet and want to avoid any spoilers I would suggest you stop reading now, go watch the film pronto and come back.
To Ricky's and the viewer's disgust, J.T. decides to use this poor girl as his sex toy, as it turns out this girl is actually alive, some sort of zombie who cannot be killed, for his amusement J.T. has tried numerous times to no avail. We all know how special and unforgettable the first time is, but J.T takes this obsession and possession of the girl ( Spain ) to the extreme, actually moving in and living among the stench of death and decay of the dead girl. J.T.'s world now consists of drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and having sex with this girl when ever he desires. He is the king of his own little world. His friend Ricky is also involved in his own little fantasy world as he dreams of having a relationship with Joann, something that just isn't going to happen.
The acting by all involved is quite convincing, delivering believable dialogues that audiences can relate to without the need for an urban dictionary. Ricky is the under dog who you want to cheer for and hope he wins the girl in the end, but J. T. just takes his obsession too far and is loathed for it.
Just like real life, the friendship of two long time friends is shattered when a girl comes between them, even when she is dead. Jenny Spain who plays the dead girl is magnificent, displaying a wide range of emotions with only the occasional growl. Her eyes saying everything that need to be said, showing anger and frustration to pity and shame when being violated by those who felt they needed to prove their masculinity.
The film makers do an excellent job of making the audience feel of disgust and an apathy towards the dead girl much like how The River's Edge also did. The Dead Girl had me thinking of this film as it shares some similarities, but is even more disturbing as it is based on true events. I highly recommend a viewing of that film also.
This is by no means a pornographic picture, there is however a naked girl shown throughout the film. If the sight of breasts and pubic hair offend you , I feel sorry for you. For those who won't be offended, you are in for quite the ride.
My Final Thought: There is a couple of cheap scare tactics used by the film makers, but over all this is a disturbing glimpse into the minds of our so called future.
My Rating: Four Go Go Girls Out of Five