Dead Talents Society : Fantastic Fest Review

       For as long as we’ve measured time, the question has been asked, “What happens to us after we die?” Of course, that’s a tough one to answer because the ones who hold the answer are, well, dead. There have been stories of people who claim to have come back—mentioning things like seeing a bright light or reuniting with loved ones—but I’ve recently seen a new version of the afterlife that I’d actually like to be part of. In John Hsu’s new film Dead Talents Society, he imagines a world where people use their talents to stay relevant by haunting people, and let me tell you, it’s just as fun as it sounds.

If you think living is hard, just wait until you die—especially if you’ve ever been labeled a loser or a misfit. I know that’s a strong opener, but stay with me. In the ghost world, you can become a star simply by creating an urban legend and scaring people enough to go viral. That’s exactly what Catherine (Sandrine Pinna) has done. She’s the ghost of room 414 in a hotel and has made quite a name for herself in the ghost world. But not everyone is cut out to live in the shadows. Catherine’s protégé, Jessica (Eleven Yao), creates her own legend and even manages to eclipse Catherine’s fame. Meanwhile, another ghost is fading into obscurity. Desperate for recognition, she enters a talent show to earn a chance to haunt again but fails miserably. Fortunately, an agent named Makoto (Chen Bolin) takes pity on her and brings her to Catherine to learn the art of haunting. That ghost is known as “The Rookie” (Gingle Wang), and along with her friend Camilla (Bai Bai), she must find a way to scare people if she wants to avoid disappearing forever. Scaring is harder than it looks, but with the right circumstances, anything is possible. Will The Rookie’s efforts be enough to keep her in the world of the dead?

Written by Kun-Lin Tsai and John Hsu, the latter also directing, Dead Talents Society is fairly conventional and at times predictable, but its charm lies in the journey. Knowing what’s coming isn’t a bad thing here, because the writers have crafted characters and relationships that you genuinely care about. Combined with a perfect execution of the horror-comedy genre—featuring laugh-out-loud moments and plenty of gore—it’s easy to see why this movie will be a crowd-pleaser.

Dead Talents Society is a clever and fun story that, for many, will become an instant horror classic. The jokes come fast, and thanks to a fantastic cast led by Wang—who delivers deadpan humor perfectly—this is one movie that will be on repeat every Halloween. But it’s not all about scares and laughs. Lin Tsai and Hsu also deliver a thoughtful story about identity, aiming for emotional depth and hitting the mark every time. In a way, it speaks to people who feel invisible in life, reminding us it’s never too late to find a way to be seen. Despite the heartfelt undertones, Dead Talents Society works because of its flawless blend of horror, comedy, and emotional resonance. This one’s a winner for me, and I think I’ve found one of my favorite horror movies of the year.