"The healing power of art" is a phrase that can get thrown around when talking about a form of storytelling that it has entirely become a cliché - it's a phrase used a lot this past year with the wonderful and Oscar-nominated "Sentimental Value". But, sometimes clichés are just that for a reason, because Jo Rochelle's "Dead Deer High" shows the true power of engaging and immersing oneself with art, especially in moments of crisis and on the road to eventual healing.
As the movie opens, a high school is in the aftermath of a tragedy that occurred through an act of gun violence. There are discussions of a student's memorial and vague comments about "after everything that happened," and it's clear a dark cloud hangs over the school, the reason for which becomes understandably evident.
One of the younger teachers, Jack (Zack Kozlow), who is referred to as Mr. K by his students, appears at a classroom window with a shirt half-tucked and a tie nowhere near the top of his collar. He's disheveled and apprehensive to be at the school and initially alarms a substitute teacher who sees him prying one of the windows open with a crowbar. Not the best move for a school on edge, but it becomes heartbreakingly clear why Mr. K now sits outside of his classroom when he teaches his English classes.
"Dead Deer High" is about finding a path forward for a community suffering the unspeakable. While the events of the tragedy are discussed, they aren't always the focal point of Rochelle's film (which was written by Josya Roark). Rochelle finds the tricky balance of making sure the audience never forgets what happened without consistently setting up reminders; this is a movie about how a community copes and tries to find a path forward from an event that altered their understanding of humanity and security in places that should be the safest for students to go.
The art at hand is poetry, and three students in particular - Stephanie (Kyla Brown), JT (Holden Goyette), and Kevin (Christian Cruz) - try to move forward by preparing for a slam poetry competition. For them, it's a way to heal and a way to honor their friend, and they even step up to the plate to encourage Mr. K to continue to mentor and be involved in the upcoming poetry contest.
Kozlow's performance is quietly devastating because he carries the weight of the tragedy with his entire body. From his haphazard appearance, to looking like he could cry at the drop of a hat, what has happened always feels particularly heavy for Mr. K.
"Dead Deer High" is a sensitive portrayal about the aftermath of gun violence and handles the topic with delicacy and care (there's one scene around a dinner table that feels like the screenplay trying to check boxes when discussing this topic that plays out the most writerly). Rochelle has crafted an "issue movie" without ever stepping foot on any kind of soapbox, which always runs the risk of alienating an audience. She has crafted a human portrait of living through tragedy and escaping through art once life as it has been known is entirely upended.
| Movie title | Dead Deer High |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2026 |
| MPAA Rating | |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | If it's March it must be SXSW! BPBS's Matt Passantino gives us his take on an issue movie that's featured at the fest; it's well-crafted, sensitive, and sidesteps the cliches potentially lurking behind the well-meaning phrase, "the healing power of art." |
