Movie Breakdown: The Dead Don’t Die

Pre-Screening Stance:

Jim Jarmusch (Paterson, Broken Flowers, Ghost Dog) is an interesting director and the cast for The Dead Don’t Die consists of Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Chloe Sevingy, Steve Buscemi, Caleb Landry Jones, RZA, Danny Glover and more.  Sounds like a winning combo to me.

Post-Screening Ramble:

The Dead Don’t Die is a film that didn’t really do much for me.  I usually enjoy meta, heady affairs, but this zombie-comedy goes so far out into left field that I just got tired of following it.  And when I say I got tired, I mean that I struggled to stay awake throughout the back-half of it.  What’s weird though is that I do believe that director Jim Jarmusch meant well here, as the film is overflowing with sometimes-sharp commentary on the current state of the world, but it feels like he got so wrapped up in trying to deliver a compelling message that he forgot to make a compelling movie.

Unfortunately, The Dead Don’t Die is fun for about the first 30 minutes, and then it just gets crushed by its own weight and becomes a chore to watch.  Even if you really love the cast (and I imagine you do, because why wouldn’t you, it’s loaded), I would still wait until you can watch it from the comfort of your couch.  This one is just not well made or entertaining enough for your dollars.

One Last Thought:

Even though I didn’t care for The Dead Don’t Die, it did leave me wanting more of hobo Tom Waits providing bizarre, metaphor-filled commentary while looking through a pair of toilet paper roll binoculars.

One More Last Thought:

I love Billy Murray but he’s been playing Bill Murray for so long that it would be nice if he changed it up a bit.  Or is that just me?  I’m willing to bet it’s just me.