Zeke (Michael Abbott Jr.), Earl (Andre Hyland), and Dick (Daniel Scheinert) wrapped up band practice and decided to “get weird.” During their night of partying, things spiral out of control. Dick is in desperate need of a medical attention, so Zeke and Earl rush him to the closest hospital and drop him outside the emergency room. While trying to clean up from their disastrous night, Zeke and Earl find out that Dick died in the hospital.

Due to the nature of his death, Dr. Richter (Roy Woods Jr.) reports it to the police. Sheriff Spenser (Janelle Cochrane) and Officer Dudley (Sarah Baker), shocked that a murder has taken place in their small town, begin investigating the crime. What follows is a bizarre turn of events as Zeke and Earl frantically struggle to cover their tracks and keep anyone from finding out what really happened last night.

The Death of Dick Long is a dark comedy that starts off well enough but then takes a turn to the bizarre.

Michael Abbott Jr. does well as Zeke, a husband and father who has some, let’s say odd hobbies, but ultimately just wants to protect his family from the fallout of his actions. Likewise, Andre Hyland is fine as Zeke’s friend Earl. Earl is a stereotypical Alabama redneck, complete with a bowl cut. Neither Zeke nor Earl are very good at covering up their crimes and their guilty consciences weigh heavily on them. Roy Woods Jr. and Sarah Baker, both more than capable comedic actors, are not utilized to their full potential. Both characters are played very subtly, not allowing the actors to show their strengths. Overall, the cast does a good job selling the story.

As I said, the story starts off strong. An accident during a night of debauchery sets off a series of events that leaves one friend dead, and the could destroy the lives of the other two. The ineptitude of Earl and Zeke and the lackadaisical investigation by the Sheriff and her new officer are the centerpiece of the film. It works well and is engaging, leaving you wondering how it is going to end. However, once the secret comes out of what happened that night comes out, “get weird.” It is a little too far, even for me. I mean, they could have gone with literally any other explanation and it would have been just fine. There are just some things areas we don’t need to explore.

The Death of Dick Long could have been a really good movie. Instead, the writers took it to such an odd place that it kind of spoils the whole thing. It’s not a terrible film, it just kind of shocks you out of everything wondering if they really just went there. I would wait to rent this one.