Year of Release: 2019
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Carol Kane, Selena Gomez, Tom Waits, Austin Butler, Eszter Balint, Taliyah Whitaker, Maya Delmont, Larry Fessenden, Kevin McCormick, Sid O'Connell, Jodie Markell, Sturgill Simpson, Luka Sabbat, Rosal Colon, Jahi Di'Allo Winston
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon
Synopsis and Review
Following the release of one of his most celebrated films, "Patterson", Jim Jarmusch returned three years later with a decidedly lighter tone feature, with another stacked cast filled with regulars he typically reutilizes in his features. The film follows the story of Chief Cliff Robertson and his colleague, Officer Ronnie Peterson, both of whom live in the small town of Centerville. They realize something is off when on their way back to the station they realize it's still daylight after 8:00pm, and their digital devices also stop working. They also hear on the radio some disturbing news about polar fracking. The relaxed vibe of the town is shaken when zombies start reanimating. Firstly two, who kill two diner employees, but soon there's zombies everywhere, and most of the inhabitants of the town get attacked and killed. One that seems impervious to the attacks or who manages to overcome them is Zelda Winston, the Scottish Funeral Home Owner, who has some unparalleled dexterity with her samurai sword. As Chief Cliff and Officer Ronnie decide to assess how the town is doing, Officer Mindy who usually minds the station, goes with them, asking Zelda to stay behind supporting the communications. The town is pretty much overrun with zombies, and as much as they try to destroy them, Cliff, Ronnie and Mindy are eventually stuck. Mindy gives in to her despair, but the two men decide to battle it to the end, though Zelda also has a surprise of her own in store.
Jim Jarmusch's films have a rhythm of their own, something that is tied with this relaxed atmosphere that he manages to create with his own brand of storytelling, which in turn is populated with all sorts of uniquely observed characters, some of which even break the fourth wall, and become very self aware of where they are in the scheme of things. "The Dead Don't Die" is his take on the zombie film, one that is lighthearted, yet observational of the way life is changing, and how those changes are impacting how the world spins, eventually resulting in the zombie anomaly in question. The characters that populate this film are all underdeveloped, but are simultaneously very endearingly so, in the sense that they all have quirky traits to them which makes them always interesting to behold and ultimately characters you want to learn more about and spend time with. The director gives just enough time and focus to each of these characters which draws our attention in, including some of the zombies who in some occasions display quite a bit of personality. It's a lighthearted film, one that creates a soft smile, something that can be attested for instance by Tilda Swinton's character, and even by the high strung farmer Miller, portrayed by Steve Buscemi. The goal of this film isn't to illustrate the grotesquerie of the zombie genre, but to call out how our behaviors are indeed having an impact on the overall ecosystem, and that even the quaint little towns, and their quirky inhabitants, as lovable as they are, won't be spared when the time does come. The cast of the film is fantastic, with Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, all creating interesting and imaginative characters. The production team is also top notch, with highlights going to Frederick Elmes' cinematography and Carter Logan's score. While not one of his best endeavors, it's still an entertaining and humorous feature from a unique voice in film.
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