IFFR 2025
Dead Talents Society
Cinema Forum Groningen
Nieuwe Markt 1, 9712KN GroningenA young ghost with low self-esteem becomes the protégée of a jaded ghost diva who teaches her how to scare people. A delightful horror comedy about self-absorbed family and personal growth from John Hsu.
A young woman's ‘newborn’ mind has 28 days to learn how to scare people, otherwise she disappears forever. A breeze, you might think, but not for this shy rookie with no self-confidence. Fortunately, Makoto, formerly a wannabe pop star, now master of scare tactics, takes her and her friend in, determined to turn the young genie into a star. As if the chaos were not already complete, the duo becomes embroiled in a battle for celebrity à la All About Eve, between a terrifying diva and a spooky influencer from the digital age, fighting for the public's attention, dead or alive.
After Marry My Dead Body (Cheng Wei-hao, 2022), Dead Talents Society is another successful supernatural comedy for Taiwan. Filmmaker and regular guest at IFFR John Hsu creates an enchanting bureaucratic and culturally determined afterlife, where burnt fake money for dearly departed keeps the underworld going. This heartwarming horror comedy full of multilingual puns is a tribute to the power of the individual and self-chosen family.