2024 saw the Taiwanese ghostly comedy Dead Talents Society. This rather twee offering is great stuff. After the, also great, Joseph Mallozzi recommended the film to moi, I checked it out. It feels almost serendipitous that I streamed it the night before Halloween. Tis the season for all things ghostly, after all.
Dead Talents Society Story
Ghosts do not have things easy. To keep from being forgotten and vanishing, they must become famous. In fact, they cannot even haunt the living unless they have a license. In order to compete, they must audition. Only ghosts who become famous, or turn into an urban legend, can make the grade.
Dead Talents Society Main Cast
Chen Bolin is Makato.
Sandrine Pinna is Catherine.
Gingle Wang is The Rookie.
Pai Ching-I is Camilla.
Soso Tseng is Kouji.
Yao Yiti is Jessica.
Let’s Talk Dead Talents Society
Director and co-writer John Hsu gives us a world that feels like a mash up of several films/television series. Beetlejuice meets Dead Like Me meets America’s/Britain’s Got Talent. To be honest, the very fact that hopeful ghosts must participate in a talent show feels more Simon Cowell than Beetlejuice.
There is a ghost network that covers new urban legends. The main thing in this world is to be seen. Catherine, the diva who haunts Rm 414 in the Lucky Hotel, mentors new ghosts. Her last protegee; Jessica, goes modern, or modem, by becoming an urban legend via the internet.
The Rookie, aka “the noob” is about to disintegrate after her family throw out her piano award. Makato takes her under his wing and he, along with Catherine, try to train her to be a new urban legend.
It Works
This award winning film has it all. Great stunts, eye watering FX and comedy bordering on pathos. Above all, it has a story to die for (See what we did there?) We care about these ghosts who literally have to bleed for their “art.”
Bleed they do. Apparently, in the spirit world, nothing comes easy. Ghosts get tired, bleed profusely and feel pain. On top of all that, they have to deliver scares and make plenty of money.
Dead Talents Society is funny. Even if you don’t watch it before, or on Halloween, it worth a look.
The Verdict
Dead Talents Society is a full 5 star treat. I got a real kick out of it. It is streaming on Netflix right now. Grab some Halloween candy, and settle in to watch this 111 minute bit of fun. *Be advised, it has subtitles but these are not overly cumbersome to read.*
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