Dead by Dawn (1998) User Reviews

For low budget, it was one of the best films for your money.

[jagaronoff · 5/10 · 2 November 2000]

The acting was pretty good. The script was excellent and inventive with some classic lines. Even though it was low budget, you have to give the writer/producer credit here, he worked miracles with very little finance. The genre has been done many times before but not with such style and grace.

would like to see a prequel/sequel

[summerof79 · 7/10 · 22 June 2006]

I would like to see a sequel showing how Don and Wendy are now living their lives with all the insurance money, they are most likely constantly making love in various places in the world.

Also how their affair started and how they plotted to have Kim killed and set up Tim in the process.

I think a sequel would be a good idea with flashbacks of everything that happened before this film.

Cos I must admit that this was a decent film for a drama thriller and one of Shannon Tweed's most well acted work since ever, and at this age Shannon still looks very hot for her age so I would like to see what is happening in the characters' lives now and also how it all started.

last of a dying breed

[writermancali · 8/10 · 16 May 2006]

Why don't they make movies like this anymore? What happened to B-movies, to erotic thrillers? Dead by Dawn is not a great movie, but it is a competently made, low budget thriller that Hollywood used to make and doesn't anymore.

There is a scene in this movie that is so beautifully photographed and so evocative of film noir that I was blown away. It is the scene, shot at night by the pool, where the main character sneaks into a house via the pool area to have sex with a woman he has wanted for a long time. This is classic stuff. The main character looks a little like Robert Mitchum, and the nighttime shot is lit expertly and beautifully.

Another writer has said that this movie is a ripoff of Consenting Adults with Kevin Kline. There are obvious parallels, but it is far from a rip off.

good B movie with very bad ending (unsatisfying).

[afterdarkpak · 6/10 · 14 April 2020]

Story is not that strong, its typical B plot and some bit good performance. even there are some or few flaws in movie but one thing is really bad, which is the ENDING.

its totally rubbish , its more like WTF? how ..

-------------------spoilers----------------------------------------

so in the end, both bad guys are happy and got away with murder. and even the lady detective suspect something more.

and especially, that shannon tweed, the whole movie it seems like she was good wife, but in the end, sooo suddenly she is CON wife? yeh in the beginning she was arguing with husband about money and bla bla, but wtf in the end? . i really wished that detective could caught those two couples too.

Shannon Tweed gives her best performance

[talyon459-2 · 10/10 · 6 August 2000]

Dead By Dawn is a neat little thriller. Shannon Tweed, the queen of B-movies, has probably never given a better performance than she does in this story of a basically good man duped into an insurance scheme and murder by his old high school buddy. This film has surprisingly excellent acting, including strong performances by Jodie Fisher and Cassandra Gava. There is loads of atmosphere and suspense and unlike most straight to video Shannon Tweed movies, Dead By Dawn is really a complex, tightly written thriller.

I loved this movie.

[regina1967 · 10/10 · 14 December 2000]

I loved this movie. My husband and I watched it on HBO. The story was so believable. And the people were so real. The men in the movie were sexy in a real way, not a Hollywood way. By the way, Shannon Tweed was also quite beautiful, although I'm not sure most housewives walk around the house in thongs all the time. The ending was a surprise. I never suspected who the murderer was. More movies like this, please.

Not Bad

[bdrinan · 9/10 · 14 May 2001]

I liked this film... But I would have to say that it really isn't that sexy. The love scenes are rather boring, but the story rocks. The dialogue was great and the detective stuff was cool. It's a good murder mystery, but not your typical Shannpon Tweed movie.

good movie

[amywarr · 10/10 · 4 November 2000]

This is a pretty good movie with excellent acting, a fairly good twist at the end and some sharp dialogue. My only criticism is that I think there were too many sex scenes that slowed the movie down. I saw the movie on HBO and it is definitely one of the best of their straight to video selections.

scary movie

[rondrii · 9/10 · 26 April 2001]

This movie rocks. Dead by Dawn is beautifully photographed and is one of the most intelligent thrillers that I have seen on HBO. I highly recommend this movie. Shannon Tweed is a surprisingly good actress as is Cassandra Gava.

Well wrought morality tale

[ehzimmerman · 10/10 · 10 September 2007]

I expected an entertaining "B" movie, and got much more -- believable characters, down-to-earth dialogue, and a plot twist that genuinely caught me off guard. I find refreshing any film with an atypical hero -- in this case, an ordinary nice guy who could be your next door neighbor, His insecurities and temptations feel familiar and understandable. It's no wonder critics quibbled pointlessly over whether "Dead by Dawn" borrowed from "Consenting Adults." A more honest response might arouse uncomfortably close-to-home feelings about how any one of us, at any time, could face temptations more dangerous than we realize. As a morality tale, this film is far more effective than most I've seen (e.g., by comparison, the not-very-believable "Unfaithful.")

A tense thriller that combines morality, cops, sex, and greed

[kserbin · 9/10 · 9 August 2000]

I think this is undoubtedly Shannon Tweed's best film performance. It's a serious role with real acting skill displayed. The other actors are less known but are cast well. The dialogue was especially interesting, combining moral themes and the genre of sex/cop thriller. Anybody who likes "Law & Order" or other tightly written TV series will enjoy seeing this film. It's probably pretty low budget, but compared to a lot of the slick, expensive, but meaningless stuff out there, it's a solid film.

Psychological Mystery Thriller

[squareday987 · 10/10 · 22 November 2000]

I throughly enjoyed watching Dead by Dawn on HBO Cinemax. As a someone who has read over 500 mystery novels this year alone, I was impressed by how involved I became with the characters of this psychological mystery.

It was mostly because the characters were so well formed. They were very much like real people you might know socially in your neighborhood. The film is a must for those who love good dramatic acting. My wife and I have watched this film five times and we still enjoy picking out new clues.

And although the film was very racy in some places it was tastefully done and was not sexist or offensive to my wife.

The Best of the "B"s.

[DwightSwett · 8/10 · 11 August 2010]

The best of the "B" movies. All of the women in this movie were outstanding. The story was well written and moved smoothly along. It would have been nice to see a second movie to see what happened to everyone. Dead by Dawn also shows that you can make a top rate move without spending millions on computer effects, and just write good characters.

I think it was Shannon's best work. She hit her character dead bang on, and was a joy to watch. Jody shines as the young trophy wife. While Cassandra the cop who just won't let it go. When she was on screen you couldn't take your eyes off her.

And the men were almost as good. Bill was good as the dorky husband and Ted gave a new meaning to the word sleaze.