The Dead Don’t Die

An incongruous misfire from Jim Jarmusch, The Dead Don’t Die follows an assortment of quirky figures (including Bill Murray’s Cliff, Adam Driver’s Ronnie, Steve Buscemi’s Miller, and Selena Gomez’s Zoe) as they’re forced to fend for their very lives after a catastrophic global event results in a zombie apocalypse. It’s certainly not surprising to discover that The Dead Don’t Die has been infused with a very weird and very deadpan sensibility, as writer/director Jarmusch delivers a typically off-the-wall narrative overflowing with oddball characters and idiosyncratic instances of dialogue – with the agreeable atmosphere, which is heightened by a thoroughly irresistible roster of performers, paving the way for a deliberately-paced yet entertaining first half that fits in comfortably with Jarmusch’s body of work. And although the filmmaker does manage to poke fun at the zombie genre (eg Driver’s Ronnie immediately suspects two locals have been murdered by the undead), The Dead Don’t Die eventually segues into a tedious, momentum-free midsection that generally holds the viewer at arm’s length (ie it’s all just so pointedly ironic and tongue-in-cheek). The inclusion of several eye-rolling instances of fourth-wall-breaking, coupled with a conclusion that’s nothing short of ludicrous, ultimately cements The Dead Don’t Die‘s place as a fairly palpable failure, which is a shame, certainly, given the promise inherent in the very idea of Jarmusch tackling a movie of this ilk.

** out of ****