The Dead Don’t Die (2019): ‘And the Awkward Movie’ – A Film Review

Introduction

With the rise of a new wave of Horror films and the success of fourth wall breaking films like Deadpool, it was perhaps the best time for The Dead Don’t Die to rear its ugly head. The zombie film has been long enjoying its success in recent years and has entered a phase of the comedy horror. We can’t forget films like Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, but it’s an interesting time for horror films and the comedy horrors involving zombies. Still popular but everything has been done. Keeping things interesting is tough, filmmakers have had to get really creative.

Humour and Tone

So The Dead Don’t Die is an odd film. The humour can be so incredibly deadpan that one has to really think to know if it’s being serious or not. There are times where the cast seem to be so unaffected by everything that happens that it becomes humorous through its awkwardness. This paired with the self aware tone and fourth wall breaking – like a dead pan Deadpool meets John Dies at the End – conjures a bizarre atmosphere. This creates a film that is hard to hate but will either bore or entertain through hilariousness or awkwardness.

Performing it All

Combine this feel with the slick cinematography and the casting of personalities – well performed …but they are stars. It’s almost like a Wes Anderson film, the many notable names just add a quirkiness to the proceedings that helps the awkwardness, self aware humour and personality of the overall film. A film like this is dividing but difficult to categorise. It’s when zombie films get weird and explorative. There is a lot of missed opportunities and interesting turns but how effective the film works is going to differ from person to person.

Conclusion

The Dead Don’t Die is certainly a unique watch and will be memorable for years to come. Whether it’ll be liked or disliked is the harder question. Never hate, it’s not serious enough to be hated. But it is awkward and different in a way that can be quite challenging, though it helps with the tone. A decisive film and perhaps one of the more unique films to come out in recent years. One to see with a caution label.

Synopsis

In a rather quiet town the locals and police force are faced with a zombie apocalypse. The town where nothing happens becomes a dangerous place for all inhabitants.

Ratings

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A Note on My Reviews

Please read ‘On Reviews‘ for a guide to how I write film reviews. Any spoilers are appropriately marked and, though I personally prefer to know little about a film before seeing it, there is a synopsis below the review for any who wish to see one.