DVDs in Review

Diagnosis Death

Title: Diagnosis Death (2009)

Release date: August 3 2009

Certificate: 15

Format: Reviewed on DVD, also available on Blu-ray

DVD RRP: £12.99

Rating: 3/5

The cast and crew behind the quirky 'Flight of the Conchords' TV series make a leap into feature film waters with 'Diagnosis: Death'. It may look like a dodgy zombie film from the box but it's actually got a little more going for it than that.

After being diagnosed with terminal cancer a sleazy teacher, Andre (Raybon Kan) and a bookish teen, Juliet (Jessica Grace Smith) are sent to a hospital to become guinea pigs in the trials of a new drug that could cure them.

Their drugs are causing hallucinations or is there really an unsolved murder haunting the hospital? The staff, particularly the lead nurse Margaret Bates (Suze Tye) are acting offhand, or are they just getting paranoid?

There's actually quite an engaging, if stereotypical mystery underlying 'Diagnosis: Death' and it's hard ever as silly as its title lets on.  It's obviously a shoestring production but the limited cast manage to engage us well enough to draw you into their mystery.

'Diagnosis: Death' is rarely laugh out loud funny but the chemistry between the two leads and the strict nurse do keep things interesting. All in all, it's pretty forgettable but certainly not offensive to the senses.

The DVD from Revolver Group contains a director's commentary, a brief behind the scenes featurette and about five minutes of deleted scenes. Fans of 'Flight of the Conchords' will surely find a place for it on their shelf, and its breezy running time of 80 minutes isn't going to bother many other passive watchers.