Some films refuse to stay comfortably within a single genre. Instead, they move between humor, darkness, and emotion in ways that feel unpredictable and strangely compelling. That spirit defines Dead Lover, the new feature from filmmaker Grace Glowicki, which arrives in Canadian theaters on April 3rd.
Directed by Glowicki and co-written with Ben Petrie, the film blends horror and comedy into a story that explores love, grief, and obsession with an offbeat sensibility. At its center is a lonely gravedigger whose life takes an unexpected turn when she finally meets the man she believes could be her soulmate. Their whirlwind romance, however, ends abruptly when he tragically drowns at sea.
Unable to accept the loss, the gravedigger turns to increasingly bizarre and desperate scientific experiments in an attempt to bring him back. What begins as an act of mourning soon spirals into something stranger and darker, as her determination to resurrect the man she loves leads to consequences that are both unsettling and unexpectedly tender.
Critics have already taken notice of the film’s unusual tone and handmade aesthetic. RogerEbert.com described the project as “a looney, earnestly delirious dark romantic film with a handmade quality,” highlighting its commitment to an unconventional storytelling style. The Los Angeles Times praised Glowicki’s on-screen presence, noting that she is “so electric she even zaps herself with lightning.” Meanwhile, Dread Central called the film “a crunchy, stylish, and radical shadow play centered on the classical themes of love, death, and transformation.”
Glowicki and Petrie both star in the film, bringing a collaborative energy to the story that extends beyond the script. The project was produced by Yona Strauss, Ben Petrie, and Grace Glowicki, with executive producers Rhianon Jones, Tristan Scott-Behrends, Matthew Miller, Lexi Tannenholtz, and Olivia Niuewland supporting the production. The 83-minute feature is distributed by Cartuna x DWECK, continuing the company’s commitment to distinctive independent cinema.
For Glowicki, Dead Lover represents the next chapter in a filmmaking career already defined by bold and unconventional work. Her debut feature Tito premiered at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival, where it received the Adam Yauch Hornblower Award, recognizing a filmmaker whose work remains uniquely original and unconcerned with industry expectations. Critic Richard Brody of The New Yorker went so far as to call the film “an instant classic of acting.”
In addition to directing, Glowicki has built a strong reputation as a performer in independent cinema. She has appeared in films such as Strawberry Mansion (Sundance 2021), Until Branches Bend (TIFF 2022, SXSW 2023), Booger (Fantasia 2023), and The Heirloom (Rotterdam 2024). Earlier in her career, she received a Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance at Sundance for the short film Her Friend Adam.
Across these projects, Glowicki has developed a style that often blends emotional vulnerability with a sense of playful chaos. Her films tend to occupy spaces where comedy and discomfort coexist, inviting audiences to experience stories that feel both raw and strangely poetic.
With Dead Lover, Glowicki leans fully into that creative territory. The film embraces elements of horror and romance while maintaining a theatrical, almost handmade visual texture that mirrors the emotional intensity of its story. It is a project that treats love not as something neat or predictable, but as a force capable of driving people toward both tenderness and madness.
As the film reaches theaters across Canada, audiences will have the chance to encounter a work that resists easy categorization. Part horror comedy, part unconventional love story, Dead Lover ultimately reflects Glowicki’s ongoing fascination with characters who are messy, obsessive, and deeply human — even when their choices take them into the most unexpected places.
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