Alex 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. 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.

For in-depth thoughts on The Dead Thing, please see my colleague Phil Walsh’s review from its original streaming debut here.

Video Quality

The film debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that translates the look of the material quite well. The movie has a reserved color palette that is consistently saturated in interiors such as Alex’s workplace, her apartment, and bars. Some colors have a more striking presence, but we are equally enamored with the detail and clarity at hand. You can delight in the subtle facets on display, especially in the modern production design and the ghastly makeup effects teeming with vital textures. The transfer offers deep black levels that do not stumble with crush or other shortcomings. There is no outright damage or digital noise in this transfer. Objects hold up well in the shadows and retain their depth with only a hint of banding at play. There is a minimal loss in detail when it comes to some of the tracking shots in the darkness, but it is not a serious issue throughout. Shudder has done agreeable work with this Blu-Ray.

Audio Quality

The Dead Thing arrives on Blu-Ray with a mighty effective DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that brings every element to life quite well. The track’s low end provides some intermittent texture when the moment calls for it. All elements play well with the music where nothing gets overshadowed in the track. Surround channels provide some subtly immersive activity with the interior noises and other developments off-screen. Dialogue and sound effects stay admirably balanced throughout the duration. While not particularly aggressive, the movie digs deep when the narrative demands it, and environmental sounds provide an effective atmosphere for the story. The track holds up as effortlessly as you could desire. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director/co-writer Elric Kane, co-writer Webb Wilcoxen, producers Matt Mercer and Monte Yazzie, and editor Star Rosencrans provide a track that provides some great insights into the production process, the background with the talent, the shooting locations, and more.

Behind the Scenes Featurette: A nearly nine-minute piece that mixes photos and video footage from the production of the film.

Deleted Scenes: A nine-minute selection of unused footage is provided here with optional audio commentary from Elric Kane explaining why they were cut. These scenes are presented in an unfinished form.

Original Trailer (1:53)

Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring the essay “Paranoir: The Erotic Chills of The Dead Thing” from film critic Travis Woods is provided here. This piece gives a well-rounded analysis of the themes of the film.

Final Thoughts

The Dead Thing is a fascinating slow burn that takes the time to get you invested in the complexities of our central character before exploring all the mysterious developments at hand. Blu Hunt does an amazing job of making you care about a character who barely seems to care about herself due to how checked out she is from everything. There is an undercurrent of dark humor throughout, but the thrills kick in when they are supposed to, ultimately leaving you with a sinking feeling that feels earned. The lack of traditional scares may disappoint the more hardcore subsection of horror fans, but those who want a modern update to gothic mystery storytelling should really enjoy this. Shudder has released a Blu-Ray featuring a first-rate A/V presentation and a decent assortment of special features. Recommended

The Dead Thing is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shudder and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.