Title: Dead Envy
Rating: NR
Director: Harley Di Nardo
Starring: Harley Di Nardo, Adam Reeser, Samantha Smart
Runtime: 1 hr 11 mins

What It Is: Notable but not yet a household name, vocalist David (Harley Di Nardo), seeks stardom with his comeback album. Along the way he befriends another musician and hires the man to work in the salon he and his wife run. If the title isn’t a dead giveaway *buh dm tss*, one of these men in very envious of the other. 

What We Think: The film started off strong. David was introduced, his objective was defined, and the obstacles revealed. But from that point on the objective is lost, barely sought after, and overall put on the back burner as David and his wife go through the motions of life. The objective and the rather questionable solution play out in the last couple of minutes in the film. While the film is only an hour and some change it does feel a bit rushed. There is also an odd introduction to the supernatural world being the problem and the “ah ha we got you now” moment. There is a strong premise relating to sabotage and a struggling musician trying to make it big that could have been developed a little bit more to where the supernatural could have been omitted completely. Samantha Smart (Dear White People, 2017) is a great actress and plays a caring yet frustrated and sassy wife very well. Where other actors may have been lacking she carries and completes the scenes.  

Our Grade: B-,  Dead Envy does more than going through the motions and there is a really good story to be told. There were just some parts of it that seemed dropped in and not thought out. In addition, the dialogue felt like real conversations which creates believable performances and makes one think, hey maybe this could happen to me. Minus the demon of course.