Dead Talents Society

Official Selection, 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Audience Award, 2024 Fantastic Fest

In this raucous coming-of-undead comedy, the influencer age meets the underworld when ghosts must rely on the attention of the living to continue to exist in the afterlife. As ghosts battle to become the most notorious haunters, superstar hotel-curse Catherine (Sandrine Pinna) gets scandalously upstaged at the Golden Ghost Awards by her former protégé, Jessica, whose jump from old school haunting to online jump scare videos has gone viral.

Meanwhile, a meek and newly-undead rookie teenager (Gingle Wang) has 30 days to become an urban legend and obtain a haunting license before she glitches into permanent oblivion. But with only a lackluster death story and one limp scare up her sleeve, no haunting agency will sign her. When Catherine’s agent Makoto (Chen Bo-lin) brings on the rookie as the reluctant veteran’s newest apprentice, their ragtag team’s overnight success finds them in a prime time challenge from rising celebrity Jessica. Is there really no rest even for the dead?

Charming and subtly existential, this Taiwanese ghost comedy written and directed by John Hsu (Detention) humorously riffs on Asian ghost films and clout-chasing culture, while also reflecting on a life measured not by the number of likes but by the ones you love.

– Dana Del Castillo

As part of the Taiwan Showcase, this screening is FREE for UCSD students, faculty, and staff with ID.