‘Dead Giveaway’ Review – A Dead Body, A Brunch Date And A Whole Lot Of Laughs [PFF 2025]

Sometimes all you want to do is get to brunch. When Jill (Ruby Modine) wakes up to find a dead body in her bed, her brunch plans seem less than assured. Not only does she have a stranger dead in her bed, but she also has a tied-up man in her closet. After roping in her best friend, Lia (Mikaela Hoover), they must solve this unraveling mystery. All of this in hopes of making it to that precious brunch date. Despite the grisly premise, Dead Giveaway is a raucous comedy of errors that builds to an exciting, if not over-the-top, reveal. Anchored by fantastic chemistry between Modine and Hoover, the film is a delight.

We begin Dead Giveaway with a hungover Jill unable to remember the events of the previous night. To make matters worse, there is a dead body in her bed. At first, there is a concern that the unnamed dead man is the brother of a man named Mark (Buddy Caine), who arrives at their door looking for his missing brother Jason. Erratic and paranoid, Jill and her best friend, Lia, proceed to tie Mark up after knocking him out, while they work to uncover the mystery of the dead man in Jill’s bedroom. As her memories return, Jill starts piecing together the mystery, resulting in a hilarious whodunit. 

The story intercuts between the morning and the early afternoon, interspersing flashbacks from the previous night. For a short runtime, Dead Giveaway works with a lot of maneuvering, but makes use of the time to slice hilariously and dice.   

Part of the film’s charm is twofold. First, the script is smartly written, allowing for hilarious cutaway gags. These usually involve homicidal fantasies of Jill or Lia, in hopes of resolving the mystery of the dead man in the bed. Writer/director Ian Kimble is keenly aware of what he is doing here. The script is a fun send-up of horror and mystery films. It tickles the audience’s funnybone while leaving us invested in the whodunit. 

Second and most important of all is the on-screen pairing of Modine and Hoover. They are electric as two best friends navigating the chaotic frivolity. If anything, this casting sells the whole film. While the supporting cast is a treat, Modine and Hoover are the entire show. There’s an Abbott and Costello vibe to their antics, particularly in the case of Lia, who is quick to knock anyone out, via a bowling pin, teapot, or blender. Frankly, these two would be a hoot in their own series, navigating the mundane pitfalls with comedic proportions. 

Modine, whom audiences will recognize from Shameless and the Happy Death Day franchise, is a natural with her comedic timing. A tricky balance in these movies is the suspension of disbelief. Yet Modine deftly plays to the campy elements and creates a fully rounded character. 

Genre fans will note several familiar faces from the horror movie world—notably, Scout Taylor-Compton, who plays Vicky. Taylor-Compton has been a constant presence in several horror flicks since her breakout in Rob Zombie’s Halloween. Here, she plays a small but pivotal role, injecting a bit of unhinged charm into the otherwise campy-chaotic elements. Plus, seeing her and Modine go toe-to-toe is a wonderfully entertaining ballet of comedy and horror. 

What starts as a mystery of how a dead body ended up in Jill’s bed becomes an outright hilarious tale of trying to dispose of a dead body. And of course, all in the service of trying to make a brunch reservation.

For hardcore horror fans, Dead Giveaway is unlikely to deliver nonstop shrieks and gore. It is far from a cozy thriller, but it does lean heavily on comedic vibes to provide a story that is both laugh-out-loud funny and charming, thanks to the two lead performances. This is a whodunit story, and indeed weaves a clever little mystery. We may come for the premise, but we stay for the comedy. 

Dead Giveaway had its World Premiere at the 2025 Philadelphia Film Festival. 

Director: Ian Kimble

Writer: Ian Kimble

Rated: NR

Runtime: 91m