Jarmusch’s dark comedy is a hidden gem among summer blockbusters
Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi and Danny Glover. Not only is this a list of some of the most respected and talented actors in Hollywood, but it is also a small portion of the star-studded cast that Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die has to offer. This dark comedy gem, lost among blockbusters such as Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Lion King and Toy Story 4, leaves the longest lasting impression.
The movie follows a group of residents from Centreville, a seemingly peaceful town, which is suddenly faced with a zombie apocalypse. It focuses on Chief of Police Cliff Robertson (Murray) and Officer Ronnie Peterson (Driver), and occasionally Officer Mindy Morrison (Chloë Sevigny) as they try to ensure the safety of the townsfolk amidst the apocalypse after a tragedy at the local diner. Strangely, long before anyone comes face to face with the undead, everyone feels very confident that they have got a zombie problem despite this being an extremely unlikely circumstance.
What is interesting about this movie is that there is no standout hero-figure to come and save the day. The police force tries their best, but they ultimately cannot be everywhere at once, leaving most to fight alone for their best shot at survival. The residents take different approaches: some barricade themselves in for as long as possible, others try to shoot every zombie they can, and others make a run for it. However, in due course, they all learn that the only way to truly stop a zombie is to “kill the head.”
The acting is incredible from the ensemble cast who each provide a hilariously blunt and convincing performance. Whilst not being an outright comedy, the theatre was in hysterics almost constantly due to how the movie pokes fun at stereotypical tropes of the zombie genre as well as at the ridiculous dialogue and behaviour of the characters.
Despite each cast member providing a fantastic performance, the standout is Tilda Swinton as the eccentric Zelda Winston, a mortician with an unusual shrine of samurai swords kept conveniently close to the corpses she looks after. A morgue, of course, is not the ideal place to be when the dead begin to reanimate, but Zelda couldn’t be more prepared. Who better than Tilda Swinton to portray the most unusual woman in town? It couldn’t have been represented any better than when Mindy claims “she’s strange”, to which Cliff responds: “she’s Scottish.”
If you are a fan of action-packed, creepy and gory zombie movies or if you love a classic comedy then The Dead Don’t Die probably isn’t the movie for you. Admittedly, this type of humour is not for everyone and some people just want to see one hero butchering every zombie in sight and finding a cure. However, if you love a black comedy with clever fourth wall breaks, unexpected cameos (Iggy Pop anyone?), and references specific to the actors, then this movie will not disappoint.
