Prepare your nostrils for a cinematic experience that is literally… breathtaking. Lightbulb Film Distribution has announced that the Sundance darling Dead Lover is officially “wafting” into select UK and Irish cinemas starting March 20, and it’s in Stink-O-Vision!
Yes, you read that right. This is an optional scratch-and-sniff experience designed to make you smell the movie while you watch it. (Pro tip: maybe skip the heavy dinner beforehand.)
Love, Death, and Decomposing
Imagine The Rocky Horror Picture Show had a messy, DIY baby with Death Becomes Her, and you’re halfway there. The story follows a lonely gravedigger who—professionally speaking—reeks of corpses. Against all odds, she finally meets her dream man, only for their whirlwind romance to end abruptly when he tragically drowns at sea.
Heartbroken but resourceful, she refuses to let him go. Using some seriously questionable scientific experiments and a lot of “madcap” energy, she attempts to bring him back to life. As you can guess, playing God while smelling like a cemetery leads to some pretty “grave” consequences and a very weird, very intense kind of love.
The Creative Vision
Directed and co-written by Grace Glowicki (who also stars as the stinky Gravedigger), the film is being described as a “cartoon lightning bolt of zany good fun.”
Why It’s a Must-Watch:
Ben Petrie, Leah Doz, and Lowen Morrow join Glowicki. In a nod to Monty Python-style chaos, the actors play multiple roles throughout the film.
Think German Expressionism meets high-school video projects—aggressively cheap, unapologetically silly, and visually (and now olfactorily) wild.
The vibe: It’s a punk-rock reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for people who think modern horror takes itself a little too seriously.
Catch the Chaos
After a massive festival run at SXSW, TIFF, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Dead Lover, which feels like a drug-induced fever dream, is ready for its theatrical “stink.” It debuts in the UK and Ireland on March 20, 2026, in Stink-O-Vision screenings! A US release will follow.
