Brought to life via a 2024 Kickstarter campaign, the indie supernatural drama D(e)ad stars several alumni from the comedy streaming service Dropout TV. Comedian and actor Isabella Roland wrote the script and stars in the film, alongside Vic Michaelis, Zac Oyama, and Dimension 20 creator Brennan Lee Mulligan, the current Critical Role dungeon master. With a cast and crew like that, it’s an ideal film for Dropout fans. But I’d go as far as to say you’ll enjoy this dark-comedy romp far more if you haven’t spent hours consuming Dropout content.
D(e)ad follows Tillie (Roland), a dysfunctional young woman whose rotten relationship with her alcoholic father, Daniel (Craig Bierko), remains unresolved due to his death. Then Daniel’s ghost starts appearing in mirrors and haunting the rest of the family, including Tillie’s sister Violet (Michaelis), mother Frankie (Claudia Lonow, who also directed the film), grandparents Harris and Renee (Mark Lonow and Joanne Astrow), Tillie’s stepfather Carl (Jonathan Schmock), and weirdly enough, Violet’s situationship Eric (Nick Marini). The only person in the family who can’t see Daniel is Tillie herself.
In the culture I grew up in, death is treated with solemn respect. Joy is forbidden, and humor is strictly off-limits. The more you wail about a death, the more respectful you’re being to the deceased. Even if you hated the person who died, negativity about them and their life would get you shunned. It’s a strict social guideline, and moving across that line leads to ostracization. I was fortunate enough to watch D(e)ad on the anniversary of my late mother’s death, and within it, I found what I believe is a universal truth: Grief is potentially incredibly funny.
With a cast and writer from Dropout, D(e)ad was always going to tickle the funny bone, not by forcing humor into bereavement, but by unearthing it in the ways people behave after a death, whether they’re grieving or not. Violet’s love for her father makes her forgiving of his faults in ways her other family members aren’t. That plays into her tendency to ignore anything she doesn’t like to fit the narrative she’s constructed in her head. It’s deeply delusional, even hysterical, but it’s also a trait I recognize — the way people tell themselves lies to help manage grief.
For her part, Tillie beautifully contrasts this by puffing out her chest and acting as though her father being visible to everyone but her doesn’t hurt, and is instead a sign that she’s handling death correctly: She’s dealt with the grieving process, and everyone else is playing catch-up. That is, of course, a façade, which Roland plays to perfection through Tillie’s refusal to show vulnerability in front of her family.
While D(e)ad features a truly incredible number of one-liners (“I cannot abandon a pregnant woman at an exorcism! Not again!”), the funniest parts often occur in the spaces between lines, as Roland and Lonow use what isn’t said to frame these relationships in a way that’s both bittersweet and funny, defining this dysfunctional family.
Harris’ complete contempt for his son-in-law Daniel isn’t explicitly explained as stemming from how Daniel treated Harris’ daughter, Frankie, but we assume that’s the case. Renee’s apathy toward the entire situation plays directly into how seemingly easy it is for Frankie to feel like she’s losing control. The list goes on, but what matters is that Roland and Lonow avoid passing harsh judgments on any of these characters, including Daniel. Instead, they reveal the family’s complexities by highlighting facets of even minor characters. For example, Eric is a complete airhead, but his love for Violet reveals a deeper side that elevates him and his role in D(e)ad.
In showing the funny side of grief, Roland and Lonow convey a heartfelt quality that goes beyond mere comedy. At times, I felt uncomfortable at how real these characters and their behaviors felt, particularly the ugly, angry side that can render people unrecognizable. I laughed as much as I cried, and while there were moments that made me go “Oh, a Dropout star” — particularly the introduction of Mulligan’s character, Owen — it was never enough to take me out of the narrative entirely. D(e)ad offers a phenomenal experience, not only because of its talented creators, but also because it tells a relatable story that addresses a familiar situation in an unfamiliar way, while providing a surprising number of giggles.
D(e)ad is available to purchase on Amazon Video, YouTube, Apple TV, and Fandango. Roland’s next film project, The Greatest Treasure in the World — which also includes many Dropout members — is currently crowdfunding on Seed & Spark.
