Dead Heat

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Dead Heat is available in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 237 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Treat Williams is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Dead Heat is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Dead Heat gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Detective Roger Mortis is killed in action while investigating a string of mysterious robberies: until he's brought back from the dead with a chemical company's secret re-animation technology. Now he has twelve hours to solve the case of his own death before he dies: And stays dead. Between them, Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It hit screens in 1988. The timing in Dead Heat is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Dead Heat is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Treat Williams's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.

Dead Heat was released in 1988, directed by Mark Goldblatt. The full 86-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.