DEAD RESET

****

Directed by Stewart Sparke.

Starring Daniel Thrace, Lynsey Crane, Dennis Rasaq.

Horror, UK, 98 Minutes.

Reviewed as part of Tubi FrightFest 2026 - World Premiere

We are back in time loop territory. We know this immediately when we see our erstwhile hero Cole Mason die repeatedly mere seconds into the opening scene of this sci-fi horror from director Stewart Sparke. Based on his Full Motion Videogame of the same name, the plot here sees Cole die and resurrect multiple times as he comes face to face with a parasitic creature that was formerly lodged within a young woman. As Cole begins to grasp the rules of his multiple lives, he also begins to learn about his fellow crew members of the remote and inhospitable facility where he has been forced into dealing with the bloodthirsty, quickly mutating creature before his lives run out. We are back in time loop territory.

As a video game adaptation, this is a cut above the usual narrative makeovers that have come before. No doubt helped by being filmed simultaneously and with the same crew as the original game, this will also appeal to newcomers to the story here and horror fans in general with its back to basics approach to practical effects and sets. While the claustrophobic atmosphere, flesh ripping creature and character archetypes, will be very familiar to fans of ALIEN, LEVIATHAN, EVENT HORIZON and the like, the film’s old fashioned (feels so wrong to say old!) 80’s and 90’s atmosphere and trappings will be catnip to those of us who grew up with this kind of thing back in the good old days of the video library.

Also refreshing is Sparke and co-writer Paul Butler’s willingness to treat this with just the right amount of humour without descending into camp or self deprecation. After making a name for himself with the likes of BOOK OF MONSTERS and HOW TO KILL MONSTERS, Sparke continues to prove himself as an ideal match for this style of old-school sci-fi horror. The enthusiasm for the impressive practical effects never overshadows the story itself which remains tight, controlled and intriguing right up until its darkly humorous and ruthless ending, which is quite different from the game's multiple endings. The cast led by Daniel Thrace and Lyndsey Crane, and with a few familiar faces and voices from the UK horror scene, also give impressive and committed performances that are leagues above the usual low budget UK genre fare.

While ideal for fans of the game and FrightFest audiences, DEAD RESET deserves to find a larger audience among genre fans. Sparke, obviously a fan of the genres himself, continues to prove himself as a director and writer who should be more embraced for combining his love of tactile effects driven work with smart and entertaining storytelling that hearkens back to the glory days so many of us fondly remember without resorting to easy nostalgia. No doubt a stepping stone onto the next phase of his career, DEAD RESET deserves to push him further into the spotlight.

Iain MacLeod