Inspired by true events, you say? Well, I’m on board with that! See what I just did there? Dead Sound is the upcoming release from Uncork’d Entertainment that will be setting sail to DVD and digital outlets on March 3rd 2020. A collaboration between Adler Films, Schur Productions and Choice Films, it’s easy to see how the plot of Dead Sound could happen to you and I if we were to make one bad decision. Written by Jon Adler and Ted Weihman, the film follows four best friends who are late to a massive graduation party at a friend’s mansion on Block Island. When they miss the last ferry to the island, they pay a small boat of fishermen to take them across the water to their destination. However, the captain and his first mate have no intention on taking the kids to their party, and instead put them in a fight for survival out on the open sea. See, this is why you never talk to strangers, let alone… pirates? Directed by Tony Glazer, Dead Sound stars Jeff Kober (“The Walking Dead”), Matty Cardarople (“Stranger Things”), Caroline Day, Ashley Austin Morris, John Behlmann, Eric Tabach, Matthew Gumley, Noah Gaynor, Sophie Faulkenberry, Max Miller and Gwynneth Benson.
Dead Sound is a horror film that’s realistic because it’s truly a situation that could happen to anyone. Hitchhiking, ferrying, anything that has to do with paying a stranger to shuttle you in an unfamiliar vehicle is a recipe for disaster. What’s cool about this movie, too, is that it has the same feel and opening shenanigans as the horror-survival video game Man of Medan. I noticed a lot of similarities right away since I played that game a few months before watching this title. However, this is kind of where the “horror” ends. I don’t think I can describe Dead Sound as a scary movie as much as it’s a suspense-thriller. Sure, someone gets murdered in the beginning of the flick, but that needed to happen to establish the level of severity in the situation. You can’t have the threat of death loom over your head the entire time, you need to see it once or twice to know the villains aren’t fucking around. The threat of rape and non-consensual drug use is another uncomfortable theme in this story that will certainly have you on the edge of your seat… but not scared in shape or form.
Dead Sound was produced by Jon Adler, Tony Glazer, Summer Crockett Moore and Ken Schur. It features cinematography by Matthew Nardone and editing by Benjamin Rodriguez. I loved the independent quality to this film. It wasn’t shiny and ultra high quality. It was just the right presentation and clarity to showcase this uncomfortable story, and the color always seemed slightly toned down to add grit and sweat to the subconscious atmosphere. I have no qualms about the behind-the-scenes work during principal photography and post production editing at all. And, although the main cast had honest chemistry between them, my only gripe with Dead Sound is that I hated most of the characters; not the actors behind them. like REALLY hated. I found the group of friends to be annoying and cliche and underwhelming, and I rooted for their captors to win more than the teens’ survival. The beginning sequence with them in the car was almost enough to make me say “nope” to this movie.
Luckily, I stuck it out until the action started unfolding and I ended up watching an awesome suspense-thriller. Realistic, pulse pounding and uncomfortable, I’m never going to charter a boat again! Although real life is often more frightening than anything depicted in movies, the action, adventure, drama and tension puts Dead Sound in a demographic outside of our reader base. Still a great movie all things considered and a great movie to add to your spring/summer collection! Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.
