Sarah Howard and Terry Castle’s You’re Dead To Me is a welcome addition to the horror genre, serving as a love letter to tentpole classics such as Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. The film follows high school seniors Indy (Siena Agudong), Brynn (Jessica Belkin), and Jordan (Conor Husting) who skip prom to throw their own party at Brynn’s mansion; however, as a serial killer stalks their town and personal secrets are revealed, tensions begin to rise in the house, the body count slowly but surely begins to rise. As the days go on and Indy wanders through more of the mansion, she is plagued by dreams and visions of ghosts, leading her to the unnerving realization that she and her friends are in grave danger.
Indy (Siena Agudong) drifts underwater in a haunting dream sequence from You’re Dead to Me.
“…as a serial killer stalks their town and personal secrets are revealed, tensions begin to rise in the house…”
The camera work in You’re Dead To Me is nothing short of excellent; the shots are clean, tight, and claustrophobic in all the right ways. The score is equally exceptional; the sound cuts through at just the right moments, giving audiences room to breathe one second, then tightening its grip in the next.
While the film occasionally feels campy and predictable, its weaknesses are few and far between and can easily be overlooked. The dialogue comes across as genuine conversation between friends, only elevated by Agudong, Husting, and Belkin’s performances; they are absolutely perfect for their respective roles, as their chemistry is palpable throughout the film.
You’re Dead To Me is everything an homage to slashers should be. Howard and Castle’s formula, despite being tried and true, still manages to bring a cutting new edge to the genre and will leave viewers satisfied with a bloody good time.
"…despite being tried and true, still manages to bring a cutting new edge to the genre and will leave viewers with a bloody good time."
