MARRY MY DEAD BODY

Once you get past the often very broad action comedy tone of Marry my Dead Body the film rewards you with a sweet, poignant message that might not be subtle but works surprisingly well.

How about this for a movie premise? An ambitious, brash cop, sidelined from the Taiwanese police force for homophobic actions, is forced into marrying the ghost of a young gay guy and subsequently tries to find the culprit who killed him with their car.

It all sounds a bit out there and - I'm not gonna lie to you - several segments of Marry my Dead Body play it for such predictable, broad laughs that you might throw in the towel before the film has even properly started.

But trust me: stick with the picture and you will gradually be sucked into a story that has something meaningful to say, makes you truly care about the two main characters and effortlessly entertains you in the process.

Filmed with consumate professionalism, everything about Marry my Dead Body is top of the line, bar perhaps the performances, which meander unevenly from borderline sitcom acting to heartfelt, earnest emotion. The actors are forced to consistantly balance on a very narrow tightrope and every so often fall off.

Overall Marry mu Dead Body is well worth your time however, all the more so for a genuinely touching final ten minutes that will warm your heart more than you'd expect in a movie with such a goofy premise.

release: 2023

director: Cheng Wei-hao

starring: Greg Han Hsu, Po-Hung Lin, Gingle Wang, Chen-Nan Tsai