I have to be honest… I really don’t know how to start this one. The Death of Dick Long is a film unlike anything I’ve seen before.
The closest to come to mind in the same vein would be Swiss Army Man which shouldn’t be a surprise as both were directed by Daniel Scheinert. Both are without a doubt dark comedies that aren’t for everyone, but if that’s your bag like it is mine, then you’ve struck gold. “Dick Long” starts with three friends having a night with some booze, drugs, and fireworks. Things take a turn, and as the title lets you know, one of the friends dies with the majority of the film taking place the day afterwards. This is another film I’m not gonna give too much away on because that’s how I went in on my first viewing. When some plot points hit, you’ll thank me.
The cast is pretty small and not many “names” at all. Sarah Baker, probably best known for ‘The Campaign,’ plays a small town deputy and Roy Wood Jr. is a physician whose night takes quite the turn when “Dick Long” shows up. The two friends caught up in the story are played by Michael Abbott Jr and Andre Hyland. Abbott Jr is tops as “Zeke,” who is just trying to get through the day with his family, but it’s Hyland as “Earl” who steals every scene he’s in. The little things that Hyland does with the character had me hysterical at times.
The two friends know what happened while the rest of us have to piece it together until the climactic third act. In between the wicked humor, there are some genuinely moving interactions between the characters. The relationship between “Zeke” and his daughter stands out especially by the time credits roll. In a world of so many “in the box” comedies, I’ll take a hard left like The Death of Dick Long any time I can get it.
The Death of Dick Long can be rented on all your favorite VOD services!
John Mosley is the independent wrestling and TV aficionado of the SoBros Network. He graduated from ETSU with a degree in Radio, TV and Film along with a minor in Film Studies. Since graduating he’s done pretty much nothing but watch, film, edit or commentate for local wrestling promotions and is the current color commentator for Resolute Wrestling. #Preds #Titans #DefendOrVacateConor. Follow on Twitter: @SoBroMose
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