Super Dead

So many quotable lines in this one. Loved seeing some of the old crime film tropes being put to good use and great ending, including a very nicely filmed shadowy final shot. Keep the films coming!!

Opening with a Brian De Palma inspired split screen revelation that a best friend has passed away, this deadpan investigation into the suspicious death of a close friend had one of the best uses of invisibility I saw in NZ this year.

The script also had some standout moments in terms of dialogue, but technically this was pretty raw. For example said initial split screen shot had one half of the screen out of focus, whilst fuzz on the audio track did occur on multiple occassions and the volume peaked and dipped significantly throughout. Some excellent music choices at times, though.

Whilst I strongly disliked the stabby ending, this covered ground about how jealous we get and how rife tall poppy syndrome is in New Zealand to this very day. Performances were pretty solid across the board.

I liked the attempt to subvert the genre, but for me it missed the mark because when I'm thinking about a film I've watched in 48 Hours I personally feel that another genre (here, Crime) shouldn't be the thing that I think of first and foremost and then get a shock when I'm reminded that the required genre was something else.

Story: 2/5
Technical: 1/5
Elements: 4/5
Overall: 2/5