Jamie Marks is Dead is a 2014 American drama/horror film based on Christopher Barzak‘s 2007 novel One for Sorrow and directed by Carter Smith (The Ruins). Liv Tyler, Judy Greer (Cursed), Cameron Monaghan (Click), Morgan Saylor (Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant), Noah Silver, and Madisen Beaty star.
The film premiered at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014.
Plot teaser:
Adam McCormick had just turned fifteen when the body was found in the woods. It is the beginning of an autumn that will change his life forever.
Jamie Marks was a boy a lot like Adam, a boy no one paid much attention to—a boy almost no one would truly miss. And for the first time, Adam feels he has a purpose. Now, more than ever, Jamie needs a friend. But the longer Adam holds on to Jamie’s ghost, the longer he keeps his friend tethered to a world where he no longer belongs… and the weaker Adam’s own ties to the living become. Now, to find his way back, Adam must learn for himself what it truly means to be alive…
Reviews:
“The potentially ludicrous story is handled artfully enough here to cast an eerie but not off-putting spell throughout, though the ultimate point is more than a tad murky, and the desired poignancy doesn’t fully come across.” Dennis Harvey, Variety
” … a spooky rendition of teenage passion and shame. It has requisite angst and melodrama, but they’re guided by the film’s immersive atmosphere and sense of place. It’s a gothic romance—a sort of coming out, bullying story that projects onto its world the moods and emotions of its characters.” Kyle Burton, Indiewire
“Smith’s expertise in crafting visceral, frightening scenarios – exemplified in his somewhat under-appreciated studio horror feature The Ruins - is fully on display here. Conjuring a gloomy view, in both the afterlife and the real world, the director seems to be in complete control of his vision, particularly in the sound design and downcast cinematography.” Jordan Raup, The Film Stage
