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Penny Lane Is Dead

Play trailer Poster for Penny Lane Is Dead 2025 1h 30m Comedy Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
95% Tomatometer 20 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Set in 1986, during a scorching Aussie summer, three best friends' celebration at a beach house turns into a blood-soaked fight for survival when a prank goes horribly wrong.
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Penny Lane Is Dead

Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Aug 28
3/4
While you should know going in what Penny Lane is Dead is going to show you, I say stick with this one, no matter how uncomfortable the experience of watching may prove to be. Go to Full Review
Leslie Felperin Guardian Aug 25
3/5
The bits where Wright-Mendelsohn and Fereday, both of them great, slug it out and hurl insults at each other are the best parts of the film, full of Catfight-style grudge-match malice. Go to Full Review
Jake Wilson Sydney Morning Herald Jul 27
3/5
In spirit, this is a film of the present rather than the past. Go to Full Review
Dennis Harvey 48 Hills 3d
Writer-direcctor Mia Kate Russell’s debut feature is the kind of movie that’s borderline--“good,” but almost too nasty to be enjoyed, like the gnarliest of retro exploitation films it lends a not-entirely-redeeming Grrr Power spin to. Go to Full Review
Codie Allen fade in, breathe out (Substack) Aug 30
4/5
This movie rips. Go to Full Review
Samantha McLaren MovieJawn Aug 30
With a tight 90-minute runtime and a story that keeps things interesting, PENNY LANE IS DEAD is still more than worthy of your watchlist. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Sam P @laniakea 1d Penny Lane Is Dead wants to be gnarly 80s Ozploitation homage, but every character, the mean girl, the fragile best friend, the brooding villain plays like a stock type rather than a person. The overacting, especially from Kat, tips scenery-chewing into full parody instead of menace. The queer, feminist edge is genuinely refreshing but the caricatures and hammy performances make it hard to take seriously. Cringe-inducing, even if campy fun. See more Ronald W @Intensity1024 2d A tense and energetic horror film that will appeal to fans of gore-heavy survival thrillers, though its relentless brutality may not be for everyone. See more Alex B @AlexBioni 3d Not Today, Loser Why are they eating those cupcakes like that?! I liked the story overall, and the actors all delivered. Some felt over the top, like Angus and Kat, but I think that was the point. The blood and tension are all there. This feels like The Strangers meets Revenge. The crazy tone of some of the characters really elevates it. It doesn't take itself too seriously and is just a fun watch if you're into these kinds of movies. Obviously, some serious and not so happy things happen, but it's not as intense as I Spit on Your Grave. Kat's motivations kind of confuse me. I know Penny Lane and Kat are related, but how? It might have been a quick one liner I missed, but that bothered me throughout. This is also one of those plots I've seen on Shudder a handful of times before. Overall, this was a fun watch. It has some flaws, but the crazy tone, violence, and performances made it an entertaining time. See more Bright A @RT78148800 4d I have never written a review. But I logged in, created an account and sat down to point out how horrible this movie is.. acting 0, plot 0, even the gore is basically non-existent. This is the worst slasher I have seen in my life.. don't bother yourself with this nonsense.. it's 90mins too long See more Aldis H @plever 5d This is boilerplate gratuitous violence acting like it has characters, because they def don't pretend they have a story. But it's not zero or one half star. Congratulations. Here's your participation trophy. Or atrophy, as far as any sort of ambition goes. See more Simone D @Simone-film 5d I absolutely loved this film. Brutal and brilliant with some reviewers focusing too much on an attempted SA that happens OFF SCREEN. This is a film drenched in female jealousy and rage, with enough gore and blood to satisfy the horror crowd. See more Read all reviews
Penny Lane Is Dead

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Movie Info

Synopsis Set in 1986, during a scorching Aussie summer, three best friends' celebration at a beach house turns into a blood-soaked fight for survival when a prank goes horribly wrong.
Director
Mia'Kate Russell
Producer
Julie Ryan, Ari Harrison, André Lima, Carly Maple
Screenwriter
Mia'Kate Russell
Distributor
Shudder
Production Co
Sanctuary Pictures, Buffalo Media
Genre
Comedy, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 28, 2026
Runtime
1h 30m
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