This is an interesting film. While I certainly had an expectation of what it would be upon going in, (since I had already viewed Paterson), I didn't know it would be Jarmusch's attempt to make a mainstream film.
The comedy is as dry as the Sahara. If you don't like quick witted humor and dry delivery when it comes to jokes, this film will either annoy or bore you. I thought most of the jokes in the film landed, but that's mostly because of my love for dry humor.
Also, Jarmusch attempts to pay homage and spoof B-movies as well as George Romero's Living Dead Trilogy, and in some cases he delightfully succeeds. In others, it comes from nowhere and ends up as nothing. His attempts to be mainstream, especially with the use of 4th wall breaking can miss horrifically, and can land pretty well in some instances.
Overall, I'm split by this film. The horror fan and comedy fan inside of me loved this film, and the critic side saw that it was full of mistakes and miscalculations. I'm giving it a six instead of a straight five simply because this film has an innocent charm to it. Let me explain.
It feels like the kind of film to watch with friends on Halloween night. A film that instead of making you think, is a purely reactive experience. It brought back feelings of watching Night of The Living Dead, and it really made me remember why I love horror as a genre so much. The cast and crew definitely had fun making it, and it's easy to see within the film. Honestly, the worst crime a film can commit, even with mistakes, is to be boring. And The Dead Don't Die never bored me, but instead made me laugh and have a fun time at the cinema.
Is it perfect? No. Definitely not. It has problems with tone, has loose ends within the plot, and it's humor can sometimes impact the quality of the plot itself, (plus, if you're not a fan of gore, this film lingers on gore many times for laughs). But it's not boring, and it's got a quick witted, quirky sense of style and humor. It had good intentions, and I commend Jarmusch for trying something new.
It's a guilty pleasure for me, and is destined to become a cult film. I love it, but it's definitely not a great movie. It's a good one at best. And that's okay.
The comedy is as dry as the Sahara. If you don't like quick witted humor and dry delivery when it comes to jokes, this film will either annoy or bore you. I thought most of the jokes in the film landed, but that's mostly because of my love for dry humor.
Also, Jarmusch attempts to pay homage and spoof B-movies as well as George Romero's Living Dead Trilogy, and in some cases he delightfully succeeds. In others, it comes from nowhere and ends up as nothing. His attempts to be mainstream, especially with the use of 4th wall breaking can miss horrifically, and can land pretty well in some instances.
Overall, I'm split by this film. The horror fan and comedy fan inside of me loved this film, and the critic side saw that it was full of mistakes and miscalculations. I'm giving it a six instead of a straight five simply because this film has an innocent charm to it. Let me explain.
It feels like the kind of film to watch with friends on Halloween night. A film that instead of making you think, is a purely reactive experience. It brought back feelings of watching Night of The Living Dead, and it really made me remember why I love horror as a genre so much. The cast and crew definitely had fun making it, and it's easy to see within the film. Honestly, the worst crime a film can commit, even with mistakes, is to be boring. And The Dead Don't Die never bored me, but instead made me laugh and have a fun time at the cinema.
Is it perfect? No. Definitely not. It has problems with tone, has loose ends within the plot, and it's humor can sometimes impact the quality of the plot itself, (plus, if you're not a fan of gore, this film lingers on gore many times for laughs). But it's not boring, and it's got a quick witted, quirky sense of style and humor. It had good intentions, and I commend Jarmusch for trying something new.
It's a guilty pleasure for me, and is destined to become a cult film. I love it, but it's definitely not a great movie. It's a good one at best. And that's okay.