Ed and His Dead Mother

19931 hour 33 minsPG-13English

HorroRated verdict

Recommended

1990sDark ComedyZombieCannibalSuburban Horror

Directed by: Jonathan Wacks
Written by: Chuck Hughes
Produced by: William Christopher Gorog, Nancy Rae Stone

Collections

Hidden Gems Dark Comedy Zombie Cannibalistic Suburban Horror Cult Classics

Why it’s HorroRated

Ed and His Dead Mother is one of the more underappreciated dark comedies to come out of the early 90s zombie revival and Buscemi's performance right after Reservoir Dogs gives it more weight than the premise suggests it deserves. Miriam Margolyes commits completely to the physical comedy and the menace simultaneously, which is the harder trick. The film plays the mother-son dynamic with real tenderness right up until it doesn't, and that tonal balance is what separates it from lesser horror comedies of the period. Rough in places but worth your time.

Synopsis

A year after losing his mother, Ed is approached by a smooth-talking stranger who promises resurrection for a price. The reunion goes well right up until Mabel develops a craving for living things that no one in the neighborhood is prepared for. Steve Buscemi plays Ed's devotion completely straight, which is exactly what the film needs, and Miriam Margolyes as the reanimated Mabel is a genuinely committed piece of work. Jonathan Wacks directs with a deadpan suburban absurdity that keeps the horror and the comedy in constant tension.