Directed by Jim Jarmusch, the new zombie-comedy movie The Dead Don’t Die is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital outlets. Certainly, the film is far from the first movie you’ve seen about the undead attacking a small town, and yet it’s still very much unlike any zombie flick you’ve ever seen before. With a much heavier emphasis on comedy over horror, The Dead Don’t Die is definitely an amusing film, but some aspects just might have been a little too out there.
The Dead Don’t Die is described as having the “greatest zombie cast ever disassembled.” Without a doubt, the film does deliver on this promise. Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Chloë Sevigny lead the cast as the local police force faced with handling a sudden zombie invasion. Also appearing in the film are names like Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Selena Gomez, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Austin Butler, RZA, and Carol Kane. Perhaps the standout performances would go to Steve Buscemi as an irritable farmer and Tilda Swinton as a sword-wielding funeral parlor manager.
However, with all of this talent involved, it’s easy to feel like there are just too many characters. Introducing all of them into the story takes time, and it starts feeling like it’s taking too long to get to the zombie action. It also doesn’t help that most of the characters are largely apathetic to the situation at hand, as much of the comedy is deadpan and everyone is just… so… quiet. Together, these aspects might just leave you wanting more, as you would expect a new zombie movie with a cast of this caliber to be just a bit more exciting.
Clearly, The Dead Don’t Die is very much a comedy movie with zombies in it, and not so much a zombie film. It’s never creepy or horrifying, nor does it try to be. The zombies are utterly ridiculous, as they’re able to speak and are drawn towards the things they used to enjoy in life. This does set up for some entertaining gags, such as a scene depicting several reanimated corpses walking the streets with smartphones in hand – a metaphor for real-life zombies. In other words, definitely don’t go into this expecting a typical zombie film.
The Blu-ray (and DVD/Digital) release also comes with some interesting bonus features to give viewers a look at the making of The Dead Don’t Die. Here’s what can be found on the release:
- Bill Murray: Zombie Hunting Action Star – Bill Murray discusses his fear of being typecast as an action hero.
- Behind-the-Scenes of The Dead Don’t Die – A collection of behind the scenes moments from the set of The Dead Don’t Die
- Stick Together – Jim Jarmusch’s frequent collaborators talk about his filmmaking style, and what makes The Dead Don’t Die stand out from other zombie films
The Dead Don’t Die is available on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital, and Movies Anywhere.
Synopsis: In the sleepy small town of Centerville, something is not quite right. The moon hangs large and low in the sky, the hours of daylight are becoming unpredictable and animals are beginning to exhibit unusual behavior. No one foresees the strangest and most dangerous repercussion that will soon start plaguing the town: THE DEAD DON’T DIE – they rise from their graves and savagely attack and feast on the living – and the citizens must battle for their survival.
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