The Dead Don’t Die
Jim JARMUSCH — USA — 103 minutes
IN A NUTSHELL
Strange things seem to be occurring in the small peaceful town of Centerville. The hours of daylight are becoming unpredictable, and animals are beginning to exhibit unusual behaviors. Things get worse when the town comes under attack by the living dead. It is up to three bespectacled police officers, Chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray), Officer Ronald “Ronnie” Peterson (Adam Driver), and Officer Mindy (Chloë Sevigny) to defend the living from the walking dead. (words by Bianca Garner)
CRITICAL RESPONSE
“This deadpan (or undeadpan) postmodernism will irritate some viewers, but it has a purpose beyond prompting a few wry chuckles. The point seems to be that the characters – like all of us, perhaps – are trapped in roles that are beyond their control. Silly and arch as The Dead Don’t Die may be, its vein of fatalism is touching and even profound.” — Nicholas Barber, BBC Culture
“At times, the deadpan of Murray and Driver becomes, well, a bit deadening, and true wit is in short supply, even though the film remains amusing most of the way. Typically for Jarmusch, the songs, led by the title tune, and score are outstanding, enlivening nearly every scene. And the sheer diversity of the cast members, along with their individual senses of humor, sustains one’s attention even when inspiration sometimes lags. It’s a minor, but most edible, bloody bonbon.” — Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
“Lazy does seem to be the right word when describing The Dead Don’t Die, as it very occasionally feels like an unfinished work by Jarmusch; the ideas may have looked good on paper, but the lack of coherence becomes too problematic to brush off. One has to think that after continuously churning out these moody and existential arthouse statements for the better part of 30 years, Jarmusch just wanted to unwind and have fun in making The Dead Don’t Die, which is understandable.” — Jordan Ruimy, World of Reel
PRIZE PROSPECTS
Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy is already up against the wall, just by default of the film’s genre in among the more high-scale drama crowd. A relatively surprising film to land in the feature competition line-up, though does make a bouncy opening film. Jarmusch has been to Cannes many times, but has not won big prizes for far better films.
Spike Lee, of course, brought a kind of comic element to the Official Line-up last year, and walked away with the Grand Prize. But that was a much more grounded, social commentary – and a superior film – than The Dead Don’t Die. A screenplay prize is an extreme long shot here, though I can’t even wager pocket change on that. Commercial success might be a yeah, but it’s a no from me in an ocean of stronger fish. (words by Robin Write)
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