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"The Dead Don't Die" is Jim Jarmusch's latest slice of weird. The story centers around a group of odd characters in a small town dealing with an oncoming zombie apocalypse. In observing the reactions of some movie-goers online, it appears as though some were confused by the film's style and narrative. Not as many are likely used to seeing indie films or anything with an experimental arthouse approach, since these types of projects do not receive as muc in the way of funding or publicity to get them out to the masses.
It is possible that some who saw the trailer for "The Dead Don't Die" and consequently decided to see it were hoping for something that heavily prioritises the zombie action or prefers a more in-your-face style of humour. "The Dead Don't Die" uses a much more deadpan humour with a dry delivery, and plays with breaking the fourth wall. The overall pace of the story is a bit slower than the average summer blockbuster but it is well-suited to the story.
The main leads of the film are Bill Murray and Adam Driver, both of whom play police officers. They work with Chloë Sevigny, who portrays another police officer in the small town called Centerville. The film makes good use of this setting to lean into the weirdness that small towns can offer for developing eccentric characters.
"The Dead Don't Die" is unafraid to lean into its weirdness. Of course humour is subjective but the unpredictable dialogue when watching it for the first time and the fact that it has its own unique voice are strengths in the film's comedy. Adam Driver offers a particularly strong comedic performance, particularly with the manner in which he delivers certain lines that can border on being downright absurd.
Zombies have been reimagined in numerous ways over the course of their use in works of fiction. Whether they're fast, slow, sentient beyond their own base-level need to feed, or not at all in that last regard. Presuming that the only value of zombies in a story is to be scary indicates one of two things: you've either never seen more than one or two zombie properties or you are willfully ignorant about the deeper meaning of these works of fiction.
In the case of "The Dead Don't Die" there is a very clear explanation of what this particular zombie film is addressing thematically which is presented in the first ten or fifteen minutes of the film. The premise of this zombie outbreak is first introduced on the news reports played on various news sources. These reports mention fracking and other things that have been done to the Earth, which have tilted it off its axis and subsequently caused freakish things to happen to the weather. There are scientists which clearly establish problems and the consequences which can come about as a result of them, and then the voice of a government official claims that scientists don't know what they're talking about.
"The Dead Don't Die" uses zombies as a means of addressing the conflict between humankind and the destruction of the planet. These zombies are not unlike other versions with their slow-moving physicality and a ned to feed on human flesh. However, what makes them unique is that they display a lingering interest in something they were inclined towards while they were alive. What these zombies represent is humankind's propensity to fixate on the small, mundane aspects of their lives and maintain their apathy towards the world's destruction. When the protagonists of the film are fighting zombies, it's symbolic of fighting against this apathy that many people today display towards serious threats to the planet all the lives on it. These threats can include climate change, pollution, or even the up-spike in hate rhetoric if you were to be more abstract in your interpretation of this theme. It's a truly unique gem, and worth a watch if you're open to the experience.
Watch the full "The Dead Don't Die" video review here:
