4.5 stars out of 5
Yes, I respond very positively to movies that are well-made and entertaining. But when a film also appeals to your own bizarro subset of sensibilities, that’s a rare and special thing, and that’s what The Dead Don’t Die is to me.
Either independent movies used to be quirkier or I used to seek out strange flicks more often, I don’t know. But Jim Jarmusch has been a reliable purveyor of offbeat cinema since I was a teenager. This is his first genuine comedy, while at the same time staying true to the zombie genre, and some of you may hate this movie but I kind of loved it.
There are a bunch of stars involved but Bill Murray and Adam Driver as small-town police are the real leads, and they’re great. Both have worked with Jarmusch before so everybody knew what to expect. Driver is particularly good; if I was writing a dissertation on “Jarmusch and Comedy” it might be that the key is, everybody is the straight man, but I am not writing a dissertation, I am writing a movie review.
In a college film class we discussed how some directors would purposely leave little touches in to remind you that you’re watching a movie. Here, early on, Jarmusch smashes through the fourth wall. There is no doubt that you’re watching a movie, a silly movie, so enjoy.
This is set in Centervile, PA, population 738, and the Pennsylvania connection isn’t random. George Romero is name-checked and really, a lot of this is homage to the godfather of zombie flicks. Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive was art-house vampires and this is undead spoof, but both clearly came from a place of love and deep respect.
So, laughs and scares and spot-the-famous-person and in-jokes, but also a little environmental message (polar fracking!), Trump teasing (Steve Buscemi wears a red Make America White Again hat), and consumerism shaming. Also, a great theme song by Sturgill Simpson, Iggy as a zombie, Eszter Balint runs a diner, RZA’s here too, and a later obscure music reference made me think, “Oh my goodness I love this movie.” Again, you might not. Hey that’s cool too.
Jack Silbert, curator