THE DEAD DON’T DIE: Please, Stay Dead

The Dead Don’t Die was a film I was very excited to see. The trailer presented an intriguing and humorous concept of zombies that have an undead life worth living, returning to the things they love the most (coffee, tennis – the important things). I wanted so much to see where this idea would lead audiences. Couple this with the film’s lead actors Bill Murray (returning for another zombie film) and Adam Driver, there was no contest.

Sadly, disappointment is not a strong enough word to encompass my feelings as I walked out of the theater. What did I just watch? What was the point? While I had hoped for a standout and humorous cinematic venture, I found myself trying to understand what I had just seen – and convinced whatever it was, was the worst film of 2019. Razzies, I think I have found your 2019 award sweep.

Before even writing my review for the film, I had decided to give it some time – a lot of time – to let the details mull over in my mind. There had to be something I missed. Sadly, time is an element that only further hurts the film. As I think back, I find myself only further frustrated with The Dead Don’t Die, wishing for a refund on my ticket – wishing it had just stayed dead. The Dead Don’t Die suffers from a multitude of issues from lack of direction, to too many characters and, simply, just not enough fun.

Too Many Stories

First and foremost, The Dead Don’t Die is a zombie film. But the twists and turns this film follows to its destinations will definitely leave audiences feeling as though there were several wrong turns taken along the way. I couldn’t tell if this was supposed to be a narratively structured story or an attempt at experimental surrealism within the genre. Either way, as the film continued, I only found myself more lost and confused.

The Dead Don’t Die is a film that doesn’t know what it wants to be. While clearly wanting to make its mark in the zombie genre, there are questions of whether the initial feel of the film was lost in a sea of influences. The Walking Dead was clearly an influence here as Zelda Winston (Tilda Swinton) wielded a katana with masterful skill and knowledge, taking down zombies with a single stroke – her origins, backstory, and conclusion seemingly pointless to the filmmakers. Her inclusion in the film is still a question weighing heavily on my mind.

There was also a callback to the film Warm Bodies, starring Nicholas Hoult, a film where the undead find purpose and return to their former selves through the introduction of love. Though the concept of zombies returning to the world, rising from their graves and recently deceased bodies due to a mystical moon, to return to the things they loved while alive was barely even a focus within the film, more of a hook to bring audiences into theaters within the trailer.

Which brings me to my biggest issue, focus. There are so many questions regarding the focus that went into The Dead Don’t Die; I struggle to actually describe what the film is about. With each character, there was a potential different film, neither meshing together in a cohesive way. Recently having reviewed Endzeit, another zombie genre film, I was disheartened to see this lack of cohesion, especially as the latter was able to bring different concepts to the table, melding them together in an intriguing and engaging film. The Dead Don’t Die was on a sugar high of ideas with no chance of recovery.

Too Many Characters

One of the biggest things I found frustrating with The Dead Don’t Die is the number of characters introduced. What started as a decent sized cast turned into a plethora of confusion and pointlessness. There is no final culmination of these characters, no final stroke of storytelling. Looking at the film as a whole, yes there are zombies; no it is not what the trailer tells you it is.

After their resurrection, the zombies wreak havoc on the town – as expected. You hope for a good helping of gore and the bloodshed – especially with so many characters present, but viewers will find this lacking, leaving several characters with no purpose for inclusion and no conclusion to send them off. For the film you have the Cops, the Mortician, the Juvenile Delinquents, the Farmer, the diner workers, the hardware manager and the Gas station attendant, the 1970’s on the road teenagers – oh, and Tom Waits lurking in the woods. There are to many to follow, no depth and no reason for viewers to care what does, or doesn’t, happen to each of these characters.

Not Enough Fun

The jokes and humor just do not land either. They should, I can see why on paper this may have presented itself differently. Adam Driver is the actor to rise the highest with what he is given, his dialogue and almost fourth wall break attempting to add humor. He knows this is a film, with a script that isn’t going to end well (which has me wondering if his constant uttering of this phrase refers to their outcome or the fate of the film itself).

Honestly, the fault within the humor here, as well as many of the other characters, could be due to the two issues stated previously. With no depth or character development, coupled with too many changing storylines and direction of the narrative, there is no time, room or investment for the humor to land.

The Dead Don’t Die: This Didn’t End Well

Sadly, this is not a film I could recommend. There are elements within the story and structure that could have worked, that wanted to work, but there was no solid direction of story to elevate them. There was no foundation for anything within the film to work off of. The Dead Don’t Die was a huge disappointment, only leaving me with the hope that Zombieland 2 does not fall into the same traps later this year.

What did you think of The Dead Don’t Die? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below!

The Dead Don’t Die was released in theaters in the US on June 14, 2019 and the UK on July 12, 2019. For all international release dates, see here.