What if a new technology could let you speak to the dead? Well, at least a computer simulation of the dead person. What would that mean, not only for the living but for the consciousness of the simulated deceased?  Simulated Dead People is a web series that appeared in January 2016 to explore this fascinating sci-fi topic. The series is directed by Adam Butcher.

As of the date of this post, four episodes have been uploaded. Each is a vignette of different dead people and their respective visitors: a dead son and his aging parents, a father and his grieving daughter, a rockstar and the reporter investigating his suicide, and two lovers now forever apart. The episodes are mostly stand-alone pieces, but there has been a reference or two between episodes (for example, the reporter in episode #3 mentions a friend who couldn’t stop visiting her dad after his death – most likely a reference to the daughter in episode #2). Only time will tell if the series will continue in this manner, or if the stories will begin to interweave.

The set design is minimalist – all the action takes place in a white room at a table with a clear line separating the living from the dead. The costume design is also simple but poignant – the dead all wear the same gray sweatsuit while the living pop in brighter colors against the all white background (adding to the theme that they do not quite fit in the simulated world).

I have yet to figure out exactly where this series fits on the spectrum of sci-fi/horror/drama. Each episode is clearly character-driven, focusing on the drama between the living and the dead, and the various stresses that the simulation places on both parties. This drama seems to be overshadowing the sci-fi aspect of the premise, but there is also a background feeling of dread, as if something unseen will soon come to the surface. Perhaps the sense of unease and creepiness stems from trying to look at the world from the perspective of the deceased. They are forever trapped in the simulation as those around them age and change. They cannot eat, they cannot grow older, and they can never leave. This series has a lot of potential to explore the horrific possibilities of the world.

You can view the series on the Simulated Dead People Youtube Channel.