Richie (Hesten Horwin) is a tortured artist with serious mental issues.

When sister Becca (Jillian Harris) checks in on him and finds his lifeless body strung up in his closet it’s a heartbreaking moment that in the back of her mind she’s always been expecting.

But when she’s suddenly startled by her brother eating cereal behind her, Becca has to accept that between the dead Richie in the closet, the dead Richie in the bathtub, the dead Richie in the kitchen and an enormous asshole on the wall of Richie's bedroom it’s going to be a rough day.

The weight of the film rests firmly on the shoulders of the siblings who handle the bizarre scenario perfectly. From Dead Dick’s gutpunch of an opening sequence through to every painful, emotional revelation there is a tangible pressure to the film that makes you want to lash out and slap sense into the siblings for their choices as much as you want to comfort them for the hand they’ve been dealt.

Effects are incredibly sparse but when used, used effectively. The most impressive aspect of Dead Dicks though is in the writing (credited to both directors Chris Bavota and Lee Paula Springer). It’s an incredibly sensitive topic that is handled exceptionally well from cast and directors alike with an emotionally honest script that can normally only come from a place of experience.

It makes Dead Dicks extremely heavy on the heart and on your spirit.

With the support of Matt Keyes playing a disgruntled neighbour and Richie's aloof attitude, tension and pressure is relieved through only the blackest of humour and, though it brings some lightness to some of the bleakest moments, it never fully eliminates the feeling of sadness from both siblings' lives.

Dead Dicks is the perfect example of a real world story enhanced through the genre of horror. With a small but passionate team it takes one of the biggest and most uncomfortable topics and seamlessly merges it with an enthralling and fantastical concept. And while you won’t be skipping for joy afterwards it’ll make you want to hug your family a little tighter next time you see them.