MEMBERS CLUB
Official synopsis: Wet Dreams, a middle-aged male stripper group have hit rock bottom. After a string of disastrous gigs, the gang considers disbanding. Alan (Dean Kilbey), the group’s happy-go-lucky front man, takes over the business and books the boys a lucrative and mysterious gig in rural Essex. But when the group arrive at the desolate club, their night quickly takes a dark turn when they find themselves tangled up in a plot to raise a murderous 16th century witch from the dead.
The humor is Rabelasian and the gory dismembering of male genitalia is prominent in writer/director Marc Coleman’s horror comedy Members Club (U.K., 2024). The film is an overall fun romp that makes its well-past-their-prime male strippers a rather likable bunch for whom it is easy to cheer, and to hope for their survival. Members Club boasts additional heart in its family drama between front-man Alan (Dean Kilbey) and his daughter Daisy (Barbara Smith). The practical effects are properly gruesome. The film knows exactly what it is. It means to entertain, and it does so for a variety of reasons. Recommended for viewers in the mood for some lowbrow comedy to go along with their occult horror.
THE DEAD THING
A supernatural take on modern dating with a particular spin on ghosting and being ghosted, director Elric Kane’s The Dead Thing (U.S., 2024) finds Alex (Blu Hunt) drifting through life, meeting men through dating apps for hook-ups when not coasting through her job or avoiding her roommate. When she meets barista Alex (Ben Smith-Petersen), she unexpectedly makes a connection that is deeper than any other she has felt recently, and he seems to do the same. This is where the supernatural comes into play — I’ll not spoil why here — and what began as a dramatic character study becomes a combination of horror film and throwback erotic thriller. The second act focuses more on the eroticism than the other genre-film elements until the proceedings become dangerous for some of the characters. A problem with the film is that a certain character’s deadly behavior isn’t given a real reason for why it is happening; it just is. Kane, who co-wrote the screenplay with Webb Wilcoxen, shows a strong flair for intriguing visuals and suspenseful set pieces. Hunt does terrific work as a young woman feeling, and to some extent wanting to be, disconnected from the world, and John Karna provides a super supporting turn as Alex’s new coworker. A gripping study on alienation and toxic partners, The Dead Thing may have some pacing issues but overall comes recommended as a stirring watch that will certainly make many viewers feel highly uncomfortable.
Members Club and The Dead Thing screened as part of Pigeon Shrine FrightFest, which ran from August 22–26, 2024 in London, U.K. For more information, visit https://frightfest.co.uk/.
