Daniel Scheinert (one of the two Daniels who directed Swiss Army Man) makes his solo directorial debut with The Death of Dick Long, a movie which is not at all what it appears to be. On the surface, it’s a black comedy about a couple of friends dealing with the aftermath of their friend’s accidental death. But then the story takes a wildly unexpected and bizarre turn.
Zeke (Michael Abbott Jr.), Dick (Scheinert himself), and Earl (Andre Hyland) are three best friends living in Alabama. One night after their band Pink Freud finishes practice, one of the guys asks, “Y’all wanna get weird?” After a montage of shotgunning beers and setting off fireworks, suddenly Zeke and Earl are rushing Dick to the hospital. The pair dump their friend outside of the emergency room, and the audience is given no explanation as to what happened to him. Gradually the clues begin to unfold, but the twist is so outrageous and disturbing that it’s highly unlikely that viewers will see it coming.
One of the Year’s Funniest Films
For the first hour or so, The Death of Dick Long is uproariously funny. It’s full of eccentric and distinct depictions of life in small-town Alabama. While the film may be full of redneck stereotypes akin to Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky, Scheinert hails from Alabama and is able to lend his own insight in order to make these characters feel genuine.
Backed by a soundtrack consisting of Nickelback, Creed, Papa Roach and more, the movie feels strangely authentic in its portrayal of such laughable characters. Coincidentally, this isn’t even the first movie of 2019 to feature a Creed song. Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum did it as well, and oddly enough both movies maintain a similar brand of offbeat humor and stupidity.
Zeke is essentially the main character in the story. The film follows him as he tries to keep Dick’s death a secret from his wife Lydia (Virginia Newcomb) and daughter Cynthia (Poppy Cunningham) as well as Dick’s wife Jane (Jess Weixler). After Zeke claims he found a missing wallet (which actually belongs to Dick), Cynthia asks if he’s going to turn it into the police. This leads to Zeke meeting Officer Dudley (Sarah Baker) who gets wrapped up in the middle of Zeke and Earl’s web of ridiculous lies.
Despite the film’s focus on Zeke, Andre Hyland steals the show as Earl Wyeth. His comedic timing is pitch-perfect and nearly everything he says and does works to generate a surplus of laughs. The film is noticeably less funny when Earl isn’t in a scene.
That Twist Though
Avoiding spoilers for The Death of Dick Long is essential. Scheinert’s film has such a startling plot twist that puts it on par with last year’s Sorry to Bother You. Screenwriter Billy Chew set out to write a script with a colossal surprise in it, and he certainly succeeds. But for some, it might be too extreme.
The repulsive twist is actually one of the worst things about The Death of Dick Long, but it’s also one of the most memorable. It’s guaranteed to get people talking and might even be enough to push some viewers to walk out of the theater. But the problem lies with the tonal shift that coincides with the big reveal. Instead of playing off the surprise for laughs, the film tries to get slightly serious and it’s not entirely effective. Ashley Connor’s cinematography (Madeline’s Madeline) helps elevate the film with strong, vivid imagery. Her work makes it possible to take the film a little more seriously, so the shifts in tone aren’t quite so jarring. Either way, the film loses steam in its more serious moments.
Swiss Army Man Meets Fargo?
Scheinert teams up with Andy Hull and Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra once again and the duo’s score works to enhance the humor and lightheartedness of the film as well as add intensity and suspense when needed. Nevertheless, the score isn’t as memorable as the work they did for the Daniels’ previous film.
The Death of Dick Long has the same grotesque and unconventional dark humor as Swiss Army Man. However, Swiss Army Man was also full of heart and had emotional and philosophical depth hidden beneath its absurdities. That’s exactly what’s missing from Scheinert’s solo endeavor. But The Death of Dick Long doesn’t need to be a meaningful movie, it’s hysterical enough to skate by on humor alone. Unfortunately, the film’s lack of heart is what makes the more serious scenes fall slightly flat. If it had been consistently comedic throughout, Scheinert’s film would have been a home run.
Some are calling The Death of Dick Long a redneck Fargo, but that comparison might make viewers’ expectations a little too high. Officer Dudley is at times reminiscent of Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson, there’s no denying that. The chemistry between Sarah Baker and Janelle Cochrane, who plays Sheriff Spenser, is superb and their comedic delivery helps give the film that Fargo-esque vibe. Nonetheless, despite a few similar elements, Scheinert’s movie is no Fargo. But make no mistake, The Death of Dick Long is still one of the most hilarious movies of 2019 thus far.
The Death of Dick Long: Conclusion
Scheinert’s solo film The Death of Dick Long doesn’t have the same impact as Swiss Army Man, his film with Daniel Kwan. Andre Hyland’s performance is comedy gold and the movie is worth seeing for him alone. Chew’s screenplay is hysterical but is nowhere near as well-written as Joel and Ethan Coen’s Fargo. Regardless, the script achieves the goal of shocking audiences by dropping a major bombshell. The deranged twist might be enough to completely ruin the film for some viewers, but the rest of The Death of Dick Long is so laugh-out-loud funny that it makes up for it.
The Death of Dick Long might easily be the most bizarre film of the year, but it’s also one of the funniest. It will leave many viewers flabbergasted, disturbed and asking themselves, “What did I just watch?!” But for those who refuse to take it too seriously, it’s a wacky good time. The line “y’all wanna get weird?” is repeated several times throughout the film, and Daniel Scheinert essentially poses the same question to his viewers, but he ultimately pushes boundaries and takes “weird” to a perverse new level. Whether audiences love it or hate it, The Death of Dick Long is guaranteed to demolish expectations.
Are you looking forward to seeing The Death of Dick Long? What’s the most ridiculous plot twist you’ve seen in a movie so far? Let us know in the comments below!
The Death of Dick Long will be released in the US on September 27, 2019.
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