Horror Movie Review: Deadgirl (2008)

Deadgirl is a 2008 American horror film written by Trent Haaga and directed by Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel.

Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and J.T. (Noah Segen) are two high school seniors who gaze at the girls they wish they could get, especially Joann (Candice Accola), the object of Rickie’s affection, whom he has known since he was a child. One day, they decide to cut class and end up in an abandoned psychiatric hospital. They discover a mute, naked woman in the basement, chained to a table. While J.T. is interested in raping her, Rickie refuses and, after failing to dissuade J.T., leaves but, certain that his story will not be believed, tells no one about the woman. J.T. confronts Rickie the next day, and the two return to the basement where J.T. reveals that the woman is undead, which he discovered after attempting to kill her three times.

Rickie finds that J.T. invited their friend Wheeler (Eric Podnar) to rape the woman, nicknamed “Deadgirl” (Jenny Spain), as well, and decides that it is time to free her. He is able to cut the chain on one hand free before he hears J.T. and Wheeler approaching. He runs to hide, and J.T. begins to rape the woman. After he notices that her hand is free, the woman attacks him and scratches his face.

During gym class one day, Rickie asks Joann out on a date, knowing she has a boyfriend. She rejects him, and that afternoon, Joann’s boyfriend Johnny and Johnny’s friend Dwyer beat up Rickie and Wheeler. Wheeler rebuts that they “have their own pussy now” and do not need to hit on Joann. Johnny throws Rickie and Wheeler in his trunk, and Dwyer and he drive to the asylum to see Deadgirl. Rickie convinces Johnny to force Deadgirl to perform oral sex on him, and Deadgirl instead bites Johnny’s penis, infecting him. The next day, Johnny races to the bathroom during class and his intestines burst out of his body, leaving him in the same undead state as Deadgirl.

Having figured out that this is an infectious, rotting disease, J.T. and Wheeler decide it is time to make a new Deadgirl with a fresh body. They lie in wait outside a gas station for a female victim. After an unsuccessful kidnapping and recovering from their beating, Joann shows up to confront them about Johnny. J.T. and Wheeler capture her and take her to the basement.

Will this disturbing tale ever end?!

Deadgirl is not a horror movie you enjoy watching in any way. It’s pure horrific and uncomfortable scene after scene that just keeps going. I previously reviewed The Woman and considered that a film I would never watch again but at least that had some comedy or a light soundtrack here and there. Deadgirl gives you nothing to break it up. It’s nearly 2 hours of the continuous rape of an animated corpse. The single thing pushing me towards the end was morbid curiosity.

For what’s it worth, there are positives in this movie, as disgusting as it is. The character JT is entertaining and well-acted. In fact, everyone pretty much does a good job in their role. Additionally, the effects and gore are very realistic. Though I did find it went too out of the realms of reality in terms of how grotesque the dead girl became and their lack of any condoms or protection.

Deadgirl is simply exploitative torture porn. The rape and torture of women is used as a trope in a vast number of horror films but this one definitely takes the cake (and violates it). There is a semblance of a morality lesson in there somewhere, which is something I guess. But Rickie is too much of a bystander for me to stomach and there’s infinite ways this movie could have been a lot shorter through his actions.

Overall, Deadgirl is one of the hardest movies I’ve ever watched. It’s not enjoyable in any way and you just want it to end. There’s nothing more to say. I wouldn’t recommend watching it but just like me, perhaps your sick curiosity will get the best of you.

This is a hard one to rate…