The Dead Don't Die

I had this movie playing while wrapping Christmas gifts recently and it was the perfect movie for this task. It's a bit slow moving and calm, except for the few zombie scenes, so I don't feel like I missed much when I wasn't paying full attention. I tried finishing it after gift wrapping and realized that it's not as good when giving it my full attention. So, I recommend having this on while washing dishes, folding laundry, or doing any general housework. It was quite enjoyable, overall.

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All the actors were good and I enjoyed the banter between Bill Murray and Adam Driver.

Jim Jarmusch is an accomplished filmmaker, but has clearly been listening overmuch to sycophantic praise over the years. That old saw about someone so talented you could listen to them reading the phone book aloud doesn't pertain to JJ, who has consciously made a lousy horror film akin to the license pornographers use when making "porn-parody".

Rounding up famous, big-name talent to walk through nothing roles, and then execute, rather than actualiy satirize horror movie cliches is of zero interest, and why a top tier storyteller would waste the considerable effort it takes to make a real feature film on worthless material like this is beyond comprehension.

If "fake hipness" is what Jarmusch wants to be remembered for rather than an original talent, this is certainly a proper nail in his coffin. I'd also be interested in the formula of the kool-aid he served this cast to get them to sign up for such menial roles.

If you read that Jim Jarmusch made a new movie and you read the list of involved actors/musicians the expectation of course just explodes. And if you like zombie movies with comedy elements your expectations hit the Milky Way. Sadly, The Dead Don't Die just don't delivers. Compared with other zombie comedies of high rank, most of the comical or fun moments of The Dead Don't Die just don't work too good. The horror elements are also just rather mediocre and just feel like necessary additions because of the genre. So what's left!? Some reviewers say that there is some references to other movies or the movie business to detect, and/or there is some commentaries on our today's society. That all may be right, but mostly the movie is just very slow and won't satisfy neither the horror nor the comedy audience. On top, even as an arthouse or artsy whatever movie The Dead Don't Dies is rather a weak endeavor. Of course, the actors are not bad and still there is here and there a little shiny moment. My rate is 5 but that's already the highest rate that I can give - and in my view this movie is a great missed opportunity to make something great, especially for the genre.

It's his dry and sober way of filming. But on the other hand, it was funny at several points. There were scenes, I did really laugh out hard and for quiete some time. If there weren't so many traces between the funny or laughing moments, it would have get a higher rating by me. A very ironical view on the zombie genre. Well, I was entertained and even though this movie is no real burner, I think it's still ok to watch. Bill Murray is great as ever. In my opinion the movie is better than most people rated.

All the ingredients to produce a masterpiece are present: 1) A director I love, Jim Jarmusch, due to the excellent Paterson (2016) and Broken Flowers (2005). 2) A to-die-for cast, with Bill Murray in particular. 3) A sens of humor that regularly flirts with the absurd, including wacky and irreverent dialogues like « a black coffee please, but not too black » for instance. 4) The mesmerizing voice of Tom Waits. 5) A slight criticism of our society, especially the progressive global warming because of a strong procrastination with regard to the respect of our environment, and, albeit to a lesser extent, consumerism. 6) Zombies! I may confess that I have a crush on zombies. 7) ...

So, all the ingredients are lumped together but, it's quite strange and even weird, the recipe is rather unsuccessful: the atmosphere is sometimes cutesy or even insipid, the characters are usually devoid of enthusiasm and quite often apathetic, and the final scene rhymes with bitterness and bewilderment.

Although the film is not completely lousy thanks to a few successful scenes, I was globally bored and disappointed. In my humble opinion, this movie is a non-event and, as an echo with itself, should be buried alive, from now on until the end of the world. And even longer!