One of the first lines said is “wanna get weird” and in a nutshell it is the perfect way to describe this film. I love dark and unique comedies. Even though safe comedies can still be enjoyable, I do appreciate a film that takes risks with its humour. The Death of Dick Long certainly takes risks. But the risks paid off as I absolutely adore this film but I can understand why people might not like it.
To me the best way to watch this film is to go in completely blind. It goes places I really did not expect and it payed off as I burst into laughter many times. The reason I think you should go in blind is because the writing is very strong and is the best aspect of this film. Every character is so interesting and fleshed out. The situations they get themselves into do not feel cheap or forced. While the trailer does not contain huge spoilers I think knowing nothing and just enjoying the ride is the best way to experience this film.
All of the actors are solid there’s not a single weak performance. They all feel like people that could exist in this world. The two main leads played by Michael Abbott Jr. and Andre Hyland are just engaging and the delivery of their lines make the jokes work.
For big mainstream comedies the cinematography is not usually a high priority and are basically shot. So I’m glad the cinematography is a real standout here. It is really well shot, there is a lovely shot were you see the colour of the traffic lights change because the light is being reflected on the characters.
To me the weakest aspect is the soundtrack, It was not bad but the score just does not really add to the film or is memorable. I honestly cannot remember an effective use of the original score. However it has the best use of a Nickelback song i’ve seen probably ever. The last issue I have is it does take a while till the film gets going and becomes great.
The Death of Dick Long is one of the best comedies I have seen in a long time and if you don’t mind dark comedies check this one out.
