The Civil Dead

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The Civil Dead

2023

1h 44m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

35 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Clay is a loner photographer who enjoys a mundane life with his artist wife Whitney in Los Angeles. Whitney advises Clay, who has been creatively stagnant and unemployed for months, to go out and be productive while she's out of town and not to "just lay in the living room and drink beer." While taking photos out in a park, Clay happens upon his long-lost friend, Whit. After a night of catching up, Whit discloses an unsettling secret to Clay, which puts a strain on his marriage and causes him to question his own sanity.

Critics Consensus

With a satisfying blend of humor and melancholy, The Civil Dead finds creative partners Clay Tatum and Whitmer Thomas taking a haunting look at the pitfalls of friendship.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

A shambling, mordant mumblecore-style comedy, The Civil Dead deftly balances the understated humour of discomfort...

Rated: 3/5

Jan 21, 2024

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

It is shruggingly deadpan and throwaway, but with a real satirical point and it is genuinely and unexpectedly bleak.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 15, 2024

Full Review

Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

At its dead but lively heart, it's an awkward buddy comedy, with real-life friends, collaborators, and co-writers Thomas and Tatum bouncing off each other with a laid-back, laconic yet vulnerable vibe.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 21, 2023

Full Review

Anya Couture

Geek Vibes Nation

The Civil Dead is often funny and timidly whack-a-doodle, but shows how maliciously the selfish human spirit can emerge when the terms of a relationship change.

Rated: 8/10

Jul 26, 2025

Full Review

Aaron Murray

Loud and Clear Reviews

The Civil Dead quickly makes it clear that at the film’s core is a strange and unique story that tastefully examines a surreal premise with a dose of the mundane.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 4, 2024

Full Review

Kevin Wight

The Wee Review

Its meandering narrative is too threadbare to really connect

Rated: 2

Feb 28, 2024

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Chip C

Started strong. Fizzled out over time. I don't know what was more unrealistic, the main premise, or Clay's reactions to his old friend.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/29/25

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Michael M

I dont understand how this is categorized as a comedy. Very tedious.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/19/25

Full Review

Jeffrey C

No spoilers. I'm stunned at how positive all the reviews are. The reason I chose to watch it was because of so many high reviews. But the humor level is a 1. The story depth is a 1. It was hard to stay awake through it as it was so slow moving. Super low budget. Very amateur actors. 20 minutes of the movie have to be of people sleeping or sitting and not talking. Clerks movie was better acted. The audio is difficult to hear. I was waiting for it to have some twists or get some level of interesting storyline. It never happened.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

Full Review

Alec B

There's a very interesting core idea here about aimless 30 somethings haunting each other, I just wish that the narrative wasn't as equally aimless.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/04/24

Full Review

Christopher H

Dark, shot beautifully, but most of all it is funny as hell. This movie could have been twice as long and I wouldn't have minded it a bit. The pacing and naturalistic dialogue make this such a smooth ride -until it doesn't want you to feel that. It's remained rewarding on rewatches. Can't wait to see what's next from these guys.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/24

Full Review

Annalise B

Funny little inverse on a genre that has been done to death

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/24

Full Review

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Clay Tatum

Director

Clay Tatum

Clay

Whitmer Thomas

Whit

Whitney Weir

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Synopsis

Clay is a loner photographer who enjoys a mundane life with his artist wife Whitney in Los Angeles. Whitney advises Clay, who has been creatively stagnant and unemployed for months, to go out and be productive while she's out of town and not to "just lay in the living room and drink beer." While taking photos out in a park, Clay happens upon his long-lost friend, Whit. After a night of catching up, Whit discloses an unsettling secret to Clay, which puts a strain on his marriage and causes him to question his own sanity.

Director: Clay Tatum
Producer: Kasandra Baruch, Mike Marasco, Clay Tatum, Whitmer Thomas
Screenwriter: Clay Tatum, Whitmer Thomas
Distributor: Utopia
Production Co: Damned Distribution, Utopia
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 3, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 17, 2023
Runtime: 1h 44m

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