Welcome one and all to part 47 of The 52 In 52. The concept is simple each week I take a DVD or Blu Ray from my collection that may have been sat for a little while, gathering dust and I not only watch it but, I review it too. Last week I reviewed Scandinavian science fiction film, Aniara.
As always if you have any comments or feedback leave a comment in the section below or by following me on Twitter and Instagram.
This week I will be talking about 2019 dark comedy, The Dead Don't Die. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, The Dead Don't Die follows two police officers, Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray) and Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver) as the sleepy town of Centerville descends into chaos at the hands of familiar looking horde of zombies.
I loved The Dead Don't Die but, I have to admit I can see that this film might not be for everyone. The story is is the perfect mix of comedy and horror. I loved that the film could have been a simple tongue in cheek take on a zombie film but, it was really more of a character study of small town sensibility. Bill Murray and Adam Driver are a great double act with both as dead pan as each other. The issue I had with the way in which the story is told is that for once I wished there was a little exposition with certain characters. Farmer Miller (Steve Buscemi) and Hank Thompson (Danny Glover) are interesting characters and I would have liked to have seen a little more of them. The 3 teenagers in juvenile detention are another example of this too, there story is interesting enough without really being expanded. Tilda Swinton is fantastically quirky in the role of Zelda Winston, the town undertaker.
The score throughout the film is atmospheric and helps convey the impending dread at the hands of the zombies. I loved the use of the theme song, The Dead Don't Die, throughout the film and I really enjoyed the 4th wall breaking references to it throughout.
I loved the way in which the film was shot. I felt that whilst there was a linear structure to the film, the way in which the story was pieced together it felt more like a series of sketches that were telling a story.
The use of effects are done subtly enough that it doesn't distract from the story. The use of practical effects during the initial zombie scenes are done well enough that it distracts from the cameo appearance of Iggy Pop.
Overall The Dead Don't Die is a quirky comedy that is a surreal look at the zombie horror genre. Bill Murray and Adam Driver are on top form and whilst there is a plethora of cameos throughout it doesn't distract from the overall enjoyment of the film.
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