'The Civil Dead' Review: Let Me Tell You Bout my Dead Best Friend
The Civil Dead
NR
Runtime: 1 Hour and 42 Minutes
Production Companies: Raw Media House, Lunar Studios, Jouse
Distributor: Utopia
Director: Clay Tatum
Writers: Clay Tatum, Whitmer Thomas
Cast: Clay Tatum, Whitmer Thomas, Whitney Weir, Budd Diaz, Robert Longstreet, Christian Lee Hutson, Teresa Lee
Release Date: February 3, 2023
In Theaters and On Demand
The ghost buddy comedy formula has been trendy lately. Within the past few months, we had studio comedies Spirited (the Ryan Reynolds/Will Ferrell “Christmas Carol” romp) and Darby and the Dead (the Riele Downs/Auli’i Cravalho teen medium flick). They centered around ghosts befriending misanthropes to teach them life lessons. Clay Tatum’s The Civil Dead provides a refreshing take on the supernatural buddy comedy formula via a contemporary mumblecore lens.
Introverted photographer Clay (Clay Tatum) is living his best “unemployed in LA” life with his wife Whitney (Whitney Weir). When she leaves town for work, Clay falls into a few “get rich quick” schemes to pay his share of rent and shoot some pics across town. While out and about with his camera, Clay’s high school friend Whitmer (Whitmer Thomas) reenters his life. After reconnecting with his old pal, Whitmer reveals that he’s a ghost and Clay is the only person who can see him. Who said “til death do us part” only applies to marriages?
This mumblecore slacker comedy displays the line-blurring unemployed/freelancer culture from a millennial’s POV. Clay’s fictionalized version of himself is a scheming loser, but it’s also relatable. While his wife is away, he wants to be unbothered, checking emails for potential work and skating across LA to get his photography mojo back, but his ghost friend refuses to leave.
It’s worth mentioning that The Civil Dead isn’t the first collaboration between Tatum and Thomas. The two LA-based comics worked together on previous projects, including the short-lived animated FXX show Stone Quackers and Thomas’ solo comedy special The Golden One. The weight and history of their relationship impact The Civil Dead. The film is carried by their onscreen chemistry and the script’s witty writing. They share my favorite buddy comedy dynamic of the introverted cynic and chronic optimist. With character-driven deadpanned banter, there’s effort into making jokes that don’t rely on pop culture humor.
Whenever Civil Dead approaches familiar territory, Tatum and Thomas’ screenplay pivots into its spooky potential, generating a slow burn of genuine horror. Thomas stands out in his performance, for he’s given the complex task of balancing upbeat charm and creepy malice. His relentless codependency on Clay naturally veers into sinister incel territory. Surprisingly, it doesn't disrupt the narrative’s tone. Thomas has a soft, endearing voice and an upbeat nature, but the heat gets cranked up whenever he’s pushed and gives a mean glare. Some might say Whitmer the ghost is an even more effective 2023 horror villain than M3GAN, and those people might be right.
Like most mumblecore comedies, The Civil Dead is the type of film you vibe to, though it’s hard to identify the film’s three-act structure. While Clay and Whitmer’s toxic relationship is uniquely explored, the aimless plotting and deadpan comedy might not be for everyone. Some comedic sequences fall flat (a particular poker scene comes to mind), but they benefit from Robert Longstreet’s chaotic energy as a devious, hot-shot actor/host. On top of that, the film’s pace is tedious, undeserving of a 104-minute runtime. That aside, Civil Dead is a small gem worth checking out.
Bolstered by the chemistry between Clay Tatum and Whitmer Thomas, The Civil Dead is a refreshingly sharp, funny, and spooky buddy comedy. This millennial mumblecore comedy effectively explores toxic friendships from a new ghastly angle.
