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Comedy horror film

Dead Lover (2025): Cast, Ratings & Plot

Dead Lover (2025) movie poster

Dead Lover is a 2025 comedy horror film starring Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie and Leah Doz. It runs 1 hour 26 minutes. IMDb users rate it 5.9/10.

IMDb rating
5.9/10
Echo Score
83
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Dead Lover (2025) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 26m (86 min)
Genres
Comedy , Horror
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Dead Lover About?

The premise of Dead Lover without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A gravedigger, isolated and accustomed to the scent of death, unexpectedly finds love with a charming man. Their passionate relationship is tragically cut short when he drowns. Overcome with grief, she attempts to bring him back to life through unconventional and increasingly desperate scientific experiments. These efforts lead to unforeseen complications and ultimately challenge her understanding of love and loss.

Dead Lover Themes & Keywords

· 35 tags
  • gravedigger
  • grief stricken
  • written and directed by female
  • f rated
  • triple f rated
  • title directed by female
  • two word title
  • body horror
  • dead
  • deceased wife
  • transformation
  • finger
+23 more
  • resurrection
  • grief
  • grave
  • nun
  • fertility treatment
  • deceased
  • dead lover
  • funeral
  • grotesque
  • resurrect the dead
  • resurrection gone wrong
  • low budget
  • sister
  • poet
  • deceased lover
  • loss of finger
  • drowns at sea
  • corpse
  • resurrection ritual
  • brother sister relationship
  • severed finger
  • lover
  • scientific experiment
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Cast & crew

Dead Lover Cast

Grace Glowicki leads the cast, with Ben Petrie and Leah Doz.

Ratings

Dead Lover Reviews & Ratings

IMDb users rate Dead Lover 5.9/10. Our Echo Score gives it 83/100, strongest in sensory experience (86) and weakest in rewatch factor (73).

83 /100

Dead Lover Echo Score Breakdown

Dead Lover presents a deliberately retro visual approach that embraces low‑budget DIY aesthetics while delivering a distinctive sensory palette. Critics highlight aggressive strobe and gel lighting, practical effects, and inventive production design as strengths that compensate for limited set construction. The narrative’s absurd, macabre humor, combined with a cast that often revels in multi‑role performance, fuels its quirky charm despite occasional tonal excess. Overall, the film succeeds as an unconventional, experimental love story that rewards viewers who appreciate its bold stylistic choices.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 84

    In terms of art and craft, the film excels with its retro visual stylings, aggressive strobe lighting, and striking gel‑lit contrasts. Reviewers note inventive practical effects, makeup, and set design that turn low‑budget constraints into creative assets. While a few critics mention the limits of its DIY framework, the consensus is that the visual and production design choices are deliberate and effective. The artistic execution is therefore regarded as a strong point.

  • Character & Emotion 78

    When evaluating character and emotion, critics praise the cast’s willingness to assume multiple roles and the palpable affection among performers. Nuanced, wacky characters are highlighted as enhancing the film’s absurdity. Some reviewers observe that not all jokes land, hinting at occasional inconsistency in emotional resonance. Overall, the acting and character dynamics are viewed as engaging and supportive of the film’s tone, though not uniformly compelling.

  • Story & Flow 80

    The story aspect is marked by an unapologetically bizarre love narrative that blends horror, comedy, and experimental storytelling. Critics commend its originality, zany pacing, and willingness to push genre boundaries. While a minority note that the film’s limited scope can feel constrained, the dominant sentiment is that the plot’s chaotic energy sustains audience interest. Consequently, the narrative is considered inventive and largely successful in its intended chaos.

  • Sensory Experience 86

    Sensory experience receives high marks for its bold lighting choices, sharp visual contrasts, and inventive sound design. Reviewers comment on the effective use of practical effects and the cohesive, ghostly atmosphere created on a soundstage. The auditory elements, including the soundtrack and sound cues, complement the visual chaos, enhancing immersion. Even critics acknowledging budgetary limits agree the sensory execution elevates the film’s overall impact.

  • Rewatch Factor 73

    Rewatch factor is seen as moderate to strong among fans of macabre absurdity, with many reviewers suggesting the film’s oddball charm invites repeat viewings. Its niche appeal and layered visual jokes reward familiarity, though its polarizing content may deter broader audiences. The consensus indicates lasting appeal for a specific viewer segment, granting it a respectable replay value without universal endorsement.

Plot

Dead Lover Plot Summary

What happens in Dead Lover from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The Gravedigger, played by Grace Glowicki, lives a solitary existence in a shack by the cemetery. Due to a pungent body odor that repels everyone—including the local Priest—she spends her time performing memorials for strangers and attempting to create a perfume to mask her smell. Her life changes after the funeral of an Opera singer, when she saves a poet, played by Ben Petrie, from a wolf attack. Unlike others, the poet is attracted to her scent, and the two become passionate lovers.

Full summary

The whole story of Dead Lover, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Dead Lover Videos

2 videos: 2 featurettes.

Meet the Artist 2025: Grace Glowicki on “Dead Lover”
  • Featurette Grace Glowicki on the inspirations behind Dead Lover
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Dead Lover?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the Gravedigger, the film's lonely and malodorous protagonist?

Details

Dead Lover Also Known As

Also known as “데드 러버”.

Also known as
  • 데드 러버

Seen Dead Lover?

FAQ

Dead Lover FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, cast, ratings and post-credit scenes of Dead Lover, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Dead Lover?

Dead Lover runs 1 hour 26 minutes (86 minutes).

When was Dead Lover released?

Dead Lover was released on January 24, 2025.

Who is in the cast of Dead Lover?

Dead Lover stars Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie and Leah Doz, among 4 credited actors.

How is Dead Lover rated?

Dead Lover has 5.9/10 on IMDb and 45% on TMDB.

Does Dead Lover have a post-credit scene?

No. Dead Lover has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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