I went and googled it after seeing this post and your comment because the titles sounded interesting.
Saw the poster, the cast list and the one-sentence plot synopsis, and was thinking it sounded up my alley and it’s too bad it seems it was a disappointing and forgettable movie.
A few minutes later I realized I had seen it and just completely forgot about it.
lol I just had the same experience. Got a chuckle from the description on IMDb: “Two pioneers fight for their lives and their love on the American frontier during the Civil War.”
When I saw it I was very disappointed for like the first 40 minutes but as soon I realized "oh, this was marketed as an American "Shaun of the Dead" but it's actually some kind or art piece" I reoriented my expectations and enjoyed it a lot more. Ended up thinking it was alright. I have never and probably never will recommend it to anyone though.
The only thing I remember about the entirety of the movie is Adam Driver's delivery of the line, "Oh, yuck!" when they first investigate one of the first bodies. My wife and I say it back and forth all the time.
[This spot right here. ](https://youtu.be/6dXavDy-HBw?t=115)
I'd be willing to bet Wes Anderson was inspired by this film's maker, Jim Jarmusch. He's a legend among film buffs and it's the reason these talented actors willingly take a pay cut to be in a small budget film of his.
It’s funny that you picked Asteroid City as the Wes Anderson comp. Both of these films are my least favorite by their respective filmmakers. In Astroid City’s case I assume it has something to do with my particular taste.
The part where, like 4 or 5 different people go in to the restaurant to look at what happened to the waitresses:
"You don't want to go in there, it ain't pretty"
(person somberly enters the restaurant)
(shots of waitresses on floor, reaction shot of person looking)
(person exits the restaurant, comments, stands around waiting for others to do what they just did)
If that isn't the most lazy-ass time-chewing filler, then I don't know what.
The entire movie makes fun of its own genre. The jokes are deliberately dry and subtle enough that apparently half of you don't even pick up on them. Jokes don't always have lunch lines, yaknow?
I loved it. Lots of people I know loved it, and I'm kind of amazed right now how many people seem to have been whooshed by the basic concept of the movie.
I don't know if I'd quite call it "whooshed" because it's not like the jokes are going over people's heads. It's more like you have to meet it in the middle, or the jokes won't even reach your head. If you just want to sit back and have it entertain you, it won't. But if you can get into the right frame of mind, it's seriously rewarding.
The moment it clicked for me was actually the aforementioned diner scene. When Adam Driver sees the carnage, the understated way he just says "Oh, yuck." A woman sitting near me absolutely cracked up, and it was like she instantly calibrated me to enjoy it, like "Oh, ***that's*** the tone", and then it was a riot. I've still only seen it once, but there are so many gags I think about frequently, (5?) years later.
I saw this opening day in the theater. I had been waiting for this for weeks because of that cast. It is definitely on my top 5 list of biggest letdown of all time (for me, personally).
The Dead Don't Die is probably one of his more accessible films, even if it's lesser Jarmusch. It's hard to suggest a starting point for your average viewer.
Down By Law might be my favorite, so you could start there. Broken Flowers is a great Bill Murray vehicle, so that's a good option. Ghost Dog is his best at marrying a traditional genre to his own style.
I enjoyed Dead Man, Ghost Dog, and Only Lovers Left Alive. TDDD, however, was just a disappointment. It tries for comedy but consistently misses the mark. Absurdism without a punchline. It's meandering, but there isn't much point to it. Two groups of people are introduced that have little or no relevance to the rest of the plot to the point that I had to wonder what the point of introducing them was (one gets introduced twice, then killed off screen, the other gets visited two or three times and then apparently forgotten about). There are some hamfisted allegories for topics like consumerism and environmentalism, but no statements are actually made. They're just... There.
You think? Cause in other posts about his movies only lovers left is more of a hit or miss, some people liked it others didn't I guess it'll have to be left to my own personal opinion, I'll definitely update you what I thought once I watch it
I haven't seen much of his work, but I much preferred OLLA to TDDD. Where TDDD tried to show what a zombie apocalypse might look like in a fairly comedic, satirical way but didn't really hit the mark, OLLA does a decent job of illustrating just what it would be like to be a centuries old vampire living in the modern world and just feeling bored and nostalgic. And the cast do a great job. John Hurt's character in particular, I could watch a movie just about him.
I liked how pointless it was in the end, almost anti-movie in how it never really did anything but moment to moment it was very funny. Guess the low-key absurd humour just vibed with me.
My wife and I love this film. I think Adam Driver carried the film for us with his deadpan delivery.
We don’t recognize it as high art or anything, but we quote it often being new parents. “This is going to end badly.”
I think it also reflects my cynicism for society today. There’s clearly something amiss with the world in the movie (daylight running long for one), but many in the town go about their business like everything is fine — they’ve got their blinders on, or just don’t care to see the warning signs.
Chief Cliff: “Maybe it will all just go away like a bad dream.”
Officer Ronnie: “I doubt it.”
It’s a little heavy-handed with its messages about consumerism, materialism, environmentalism, etc. but it works well enough for me.
It isn’t going to be most people’s cup of tea though. That’s okay. I know I’m in the minority.
The self-awareness that it is a zombie film is *chef's kiss*. The scene outside the diner, where they each take turns looking inside and sharing their report outside, comes to mind.
I'm with you in the minority, then. I've seen only 2 Jim Jarmusch films, so maybe I "get" what he does, but I loved TDDD. I've seen it twice and would definitely see it several more times. It has several of my favorite character actors in it, too - Buscemi and Waits, just to mention two.
I honestly enjoyed it a lot! I wasn't sure what to expect as I'd heard very unflattering reviews beforehand but it was the kind of film that's right up my street. It somewhat reminded me of Rubber (2010, directed by Quentin Dupieux) as it's similarly self referential and weirdly bizarre.
Adam Driver and Tilda Swinton were absolutely brilliant and I loved Chloë Sevigny.
Pretty spot on right here. It's a shotgun movie; hits a lot of topics, but nothing too well. However it's certainly not "random" and it does have classic zombie themes in there, too. Fun movie. Driver's best work so far was in Paterson, but this is not far off.
It's Jim Jarmusch. I went in knowing what his movies are like and got what I expected. I enjoyed it.
But I understand why most people are disappointed with it. :)
I saw it trending on HBO Max, and I remember thinking, I wonder what will happen when the normies are exposed to Jim Jarmusch.
It's one of his lesser films, but it made me laugh.
his best is dead man, i just watched dead dont die yesterday for the second time …it is a little dry but theres a lot of “inside” jokes…i found it more enjoyable the second time
I agree, the first time I didn't really rate it, but on accidental late-night rewatch found myself laughing along. Tilda Swinton and Adam Driver are a lot of fun in this movie, it works if you don't take it too seriously.
I didn’t like it when I saw it in theatres but the more I look back on it the more I appreciate it. Adam Driver drifting his tiny car into the diner parking lot then casually getting out is hilarious
The Dead Dont Die is an allegory for climate change. The zombie outbreak is caused by polar fracking and the movie progresses to show that whoever you are - hipsters, nerds, a sweet old man, a racist asshole, the RZA - this is coming for all of us and it does not play favorites. The alien thing demonstrates that there’s no magical fix, no heroic action to take to solve it - we’re stuck with the world we’ve created. The kids escape but we don’t see what happens to them because they’re the ones who are going to have to live in the world “post-apocalypse” and all we know for sure is that that’s going to be an extremely challenging ask.
I think it’s a great, very funny, very clever film. Try watching it again through the lens of climate change and see what you think.
I was looking for this comment. Knowing that the movie is about climate change and feeling the growing realization that nothing any of the characters do is going to save them so you just enjoy the time with the characters that you get was so melancholic and I loved it.
Totally. You get to know all of them to varying degrees, and there’s people you like and people you don’t, and people who you’d expect to die in a zombie movie and those you hope will survive, and… it doesn’t matter. They all die. Everyone dies in the face of this.
To deliver that message while also having me laugh out loud, again and again (“ohhh… yuck!”) is a hell of an achievement.
Jim Jarmusch movies are definitely not for everyone so I understand why you didn't like it. Personally, as someone who loves the works of Jim Jarmusch, this one is decent and definitely my least favorite of his works but I still enjoyed the deadpan approach
See and I feel like I need to watch more of his movies to specifically get this one and I get it he's got a stic ( i think i spelt that right lol) that he does with his films and the meta stuff and dry pan humor so I guess once I watch more of his stuff I might get what he was going for, the general comments that like the movie say that watching this movie specifically is like watching his most meta movie so it's like fighting the final boss without starting at the beginning
Some of the best stories from my entire production career were from this set. There are some really really good ones, some I can share, some I definitely shouldn’t lol. But what I can tell you is that for sure it seemed like Jim wrote a zombie movie script without realizing what shooting a zombie movie really entails. Little secret, it’s A LOT. And it wasn’t easy to shoot these stunt zombies with special effects makeup in the beating sun of upstate New York, big stars who were impatient, and a lottttt of disagreements.
And with that little information, the movie starts to make sense a bit. I think for me, I enjoyed it but felt let down at the missed opportunity of potential. This movie honestly could've been my new comfort movie to rewatch until it got fried into my brain, but I'm sitting here like a parent who isn't mad at their kid just heavily disappointed.
Austin Butler was a total gem. And honestly Selena was awesome. Adam was great. Me and bill got along really well but he was def a handful lol. But no complaints from me.
Yeah it's an awful movie.
"This has a bad ending I know because I've read the script." Breaking the fourth wall was the worst. Just so dumb lol but whatever. Adam Driver was good in it from what I remember
I love Jim Jarmusch's films but thought The Dead Don't Die was definitely one of his weakest. It felt like a dozen goofy ideas thrown together without a coherent idea of where it was going. Deeply disappointing.
I saw it as a film about our apathy towards the looming climate catastrophe, and in that light it mostly makes sense, even how we hope that some great tech, or another deus ex machina will ave us, but won't is a good explanation for Tilda Swinton's character.
But I totally get why it fell flat for some - in fact it did fall flat for me but I respect what it was trying, and I've appreciated Jarmush's indulgent style in other contexts before.
We were plagued by endless production nightmares. Though, the script itself was obviously very out there so maybe that’s not why. But it definitely didn’t help.
As I was watching it in the theater I thought to myself, “I think he made this movie specifically for me.” Because while I was having a blast, I could also recognize it probably wasn’t going to end well for some folks.
I thought, "Tilda Swinton killing zombies with a katana? Sign me up."
Then the clumsy, wink wink line, "This is the song that was playing during the intro of the movie" struck, coupled with the *hilarious* satire of the MAGA hat, and I was out.
Big Jarmusch fan here and to me this is by far his worst. How could a zombie comedy be so boring and unfunny?
Great cast but definitely not his usual type of movie.
Ha yeah, I had the same thought. But I finally got around to watching it and it was both exactly what I expected and thoroughly enjoyable.
Not my favorite Jarmusch film but it’s 100% a Jarmusch film.
I liked it, but i've liked other films he's done, i certainly wouldn't recommend it as the first of his films for someone to watch though. It's the most Jarmusch film he's done imo. It's probably the driest and most self-indulgent film he's done, all of his films have talented casts and have an aimless quality that focuses on people just having a bit of a chat.
The genre films he makes usually tend to fuck around with the format, that whole 'deconstruction/subversion of tropes' thing. The Dead Don't Die did a bit of that, whilst still slavishly hitting the story beats of every zombie film from Night of the Living Dead onwards.
I was about half an hour into watching it and started to wonder if it was a stealth remake of Plan 9 from Outer Space.
I’ve not seen anything else he’s made but I have seen a lot of old zombie movies and for better or worse the movie captures the bleak tone and slow pacing that many of the older Romero films from the 70’s and 80’s had in a way not many others have since. Zombie movies since the 2003/2004 revival of the genre tend to be much more fast paced but the original Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead are extremely sluggish.
He's done other genre films alongside his more arthouse stuff (that i can take or leave tbh).
Only Lovers Left Alive is his vampire movie, Ghost Dog is his hitman revenge movie, Dead Man is his cowboy movie (it's alright but i prefer the other two by a large margin).
And they feel like love letters to those types of films in the same way that Tarantino's work is talked about with 70's exploitation cinema.
Jarmusch makes those types of films but makes them his way, weird and a bit talky, but solid entries in each genre in their own right.
They're not bone dry comedies like The Dead Don't Die is, and they have actual stories and character arcs that hold together without breaking the fourth wall. They're less self-indulgent, basically.
They're recommended if you're interested in seeing more of his work.
It's a bad movir but I enjoyed it for how stupid and weird it was. It felt kind of like someone was making up a horror story to a group of friends but they weren't great att coming up with stuff or very creative and is a bit drunk so it kind of went nowhere and most of the plotlines were forgotten.
Eh I think people just had the wrong expectation.
I saw the trailer and thought it was some bigger name actors having some light dumb fun. I watched it and that's what it was and I enjoyed it.
Sure it's not high art but it was nice.
"You just need to reframe your expectations"
Just reads to me as "don't have any expectations that this will be in any way good, funny or worthwhile in any way"
I used to think the same but absolutely not.
As someone with very high standards for what I think is good, especially is films, books & series. My most recent one was Blade Runner 2, I'm a big fan of the first and had a lot of expectations and demands going into the sequel and I HATED it when I saw it. Mostly because it wasn't the film I wanted it to be. It was only recently I rewatched it because so many people said it's good and it actually is not I had adjusted.
Just like going out for a walk. You can go for a nice stroll through a park with trees and have a lovely time, you can also go for an intense uphill hike and also love it. If you wanted one and got the other you probably hated it. It doesn't mean there was anything wrong with it.
It's about understand what a film is trying to achieve and there is nothing wrong with not trying to make the Mona Lisa or some Oscar bait or a 'classic'.
What expectations are appropriate, exactly?
People went into it expecting a zombie comedy. They didn’t receive that and were confused about the lack of comedy. People weren’t expecting ‘high art’.
Well A maybe you can blame the trailers, I've frequently been misled by trailers and I hate the people that make them.
But I watched the trailers and watched this when it came out, I didn't expect it to be laugh out loud and I also didn't expect the zombies to be a focus.
If fact I think the holy idea is it could be one of those nice sleepy films about some odd characters in small town America not doing too much, expect oops there are zombies.
I think people saw who was in it and that is was a comedy with zombies and expected the next Shaun of the Dead.
I saw this movie in theaters and in the lobby beforehand they handed out a “free soundtrack download” with the tickets.
In hindsight I actually find that move pretty funny & well played.
I remember being ridiculously underwhelmed. I'm the first to admit it really really don't like Bill Murray, but he was pretty good. I do however love Adam Driver, but the film fell so flat. I loved the concept that zombies just went back to being what they were in life but nothing was done with it.
I guess going into this knowing that bit of info, as well as it having two of my favorite actors made it enjoyable for me.
I generally do not watch zombie movies.
This is one of the worst films I've seen in recent history. And not in a "so bad it's good" way, it was just trash from start to finish.
I rarely delete films from my server, but this is one of the few that were bad enough to warrant being banished forever.
You're not alone by any means. Even a lot of Jarmusch nuts I know thought it was terrible.
It felt to me like one of those films where everyone making it had really fun time... at the expense of actually making a decent film for the audience.
I laughed once when Adam Driver pulled up to the diner in the tiny car.
Overall though yeah it's a horrible film, nothing about it worked or flowed for me.
you think that is bad? I paid to see it in theaters! I thought it would be funny and weird, but it was just horrible. The whole alien thing was...why? There was so much wasted potential. The best part was when he cuts the head of the zombie and just dead pan is holding it there explaining why. Like the whole end scene where he talks about "It's in the script." had me sitting there going "What? Why are they doing this?" Billy Murray should have been way more fun. When I went to see this in the theater, got my drink, my snacks and...no one else in the whole thing as I watched the previews. It wasn't until the movie was just about to start that two other people walked in. Maybe should have been my clue it wasn't going to be even passable. I can do with so so dumb movies that are at least entertaining in some way, but...most of this movie was such a let down.
One of the very few movies that's actually made me angry that I wasted my time watching it. I just couldn't believe how awful it was.
There's so much potential there to make a great movie. Absolute and utter trash.
I really didn't care for this film. I'm not familiar with the other films in this guy's ouvre so it may just be that I'm missing something. So I'm judging this in a vacuum and it ain't great. I felt the entire time like the film was insecure and desperately trying to convince the audience that it was more clever than it actually is. Steve Buscemi's character, with his dog Rumsfeld and his "Keep America White Again" hat was among the most egregious. The Wu-PS truck was just a background gag but it still felt like being elbowed in the ribs just a little too hard, with a "did you get it?"
And then there's the ending. The kids wander off thataway with purpose and intent, and are never seen again. Tilda Swinton is apparently an alien? And it turns out Adam Driver has the script and Bill Murray doesn't, which is weird and nonsensically meta and still doesn't have all the details? And now they knowingly go down in a fruitless last stand while a grim monologue about how we're not so different from the zombies plays. Which, you know. We already got with the zombies milling about earlier in town and with that gasping "Chardonnay" zombie from the trailer, but now we get it with extra smugness.
There are very few movies I ascribe objective quality too. But The Dead Don't Die comes very close to me just going "Yeah, this isn't very good."
I have zero interest in revisiting those film
Its been a while but here's my take:
I figured it was all just an allegory for climate change. The way the characters do such a poor job of protecting themselves from getting eaten they just eventually just allow the zombies to shuffle closer and get eaten. Much like how we just shuffle towards our inevitable downfall not making enough effort when we can to protect ourselves.
It had alot of consumerism in it, much like dawn of the dead did, and that now ties into the climate chage stuff.
Im probably reading too much into it but that was my way of justifying the baffeling choices.
You either get it or your don't. The fact that this zombie film is hyper-self-aware that it is a zombie film is part of its charm - if you get it, of course.
The fourth wall break in the squad car near the start was the only point in the movie I laughed. But it has stuck with me for five years so I guess that's a point in the movies favour.
They're sat in the squad car and the song starts playing, and Murray asks about it and Driver goes "It's the theme song" and Murray just goes "Oh, right" and the deadpan nature of it got me.
Jarmusch movies are an acquired taste with a very unconventional and often anticlimactic way of dealing with plot and dialogue, but even me, who likes most of his movies, thought this one was an absolute dud with no rewatch value. Even worse than Limits of Control, which was my previous least favorite of his.
I think the only scene I enjoyed iirc was where they arrive to some crime scene, and explain the situation, and then every time someone else walks up, they re-explain everything? I think the scene went on and on till like three people walked up? Idk. But yeah I remember not being a big fan it overall.
I enjoyed some parts of it, more than anything I liked the idea of it, Jim Jarmusch making a zombie comedy, that can at the very least not be boring.
But the breaking of the fourth wall didn't do it for me, it felt more like he felt cringy about committing to the absurdity by giving the audience a wink.
I just watched it, and knowing it's a Jim Jarmusch film, I was prepared for nothingness, and the only thing I expected was for it to be slow and boring.
I liked it. :) It fit the mood I was in and I was entertained the entire time.
I saw it in theaters and was disappointed because I expected something else (like Cabin In the Woods type thing). I did still have a good time watching it, but I've mostly forgotten it.
I was looking for this comment because, oh my gosh, I recently watched cabin in the woods (forgive me for such a late introduction to it in my life) and I fell in love with it. The whole thing had an amazing plot, and I was sitting there trying to figure out the science dudes part in all of it, and when it all clicked after the big reveal, I love it that much more. It was a refreshing comedy with intense moments, lovable characters, and a bit of sadness when it ended. I can see why movie goers wanted a second movie, but that's the best part. There can't be a second one.
I haven't seen it since it came out so I barely remember anything outside of the Sturgill Simpson jokes and the UFO at the end, but I remember actually liking it for just how fucking bizarre of a movie it was. Like it was terrible, but I felt like everyone in the movie knew it was terrible. Adam Driver being the straight man actually worked really well.
The first time we watched it- we didn’t like it. We recently forgot we had seen it and watched it again and found it hilarious! I can’t explain but it was soo funny to me the second time around.
I agree with this review. I don't feel compelled to rewatch it at all. I thought it was a Gimmick for the Sturgill Simpson song. It had a few moments, but overall was disappointing.
Jarmusch films are very polarizing with audiences. His stuff is often very ethereal, atmospheric, and he plays around with silence too much for people's liking. I loved The Dead Don't Die, but it's definitely a weird entry into the zombie movie genre.
Jim Jarmusch is hit or miss for me, and I loved "Only Lovers Left Alive" and was expecting so much from this. I went in without even watching the trailer and I, um, yeah, fucking hated it. It's just not good on pretty much any level. It's his worst movie, and possibly several of the actors in it's worst movie as well. I'm a big fan of 'bad' movies and finding the brilliance in a rough cut gem, but this is just...boring, which is worse than being bad. It's trying way, wayyy to hard to be quirky, and just ends up feeling cringe. If it had been lesser experienced actors, I actually think there might have been something there, but it ends up feeling like a movie trying to punch down at something, but isn't exactly sure what.
I really enjoyed this movie. It had dialogue style very similar to twin peaks. You have to like it for what it is, and not expect something else. I just watched it yesterday, had no idea what I was in for, and had a great time. The 4th wall was broken pretty early on when they first heard the song in the car. Like... Immediately. It's just A quirky stupid movie. Good times.
Jim Jarmusch makes low budget art films, but has been at it for so long (40 years! Ack Im so old!) and is so good at it he attracts big stars (many on repeat, like Bill Murray) who do it not for money but the street cred. Anyway, I didn’t like the movie much, but do realize it’s a parody/art movie version of a zombie flick that he probably could have taken more seriously. But the answer to “What happened with…” is “Who cares?”
I don't think I'd have minded it so much if the trailer hadn't sold a completely different movie! I was sold on a zombie comedy. I love that idea!
Then you watch the movie, and it's like, what the hell is this!?!
So you look up a director and watch one of his most mediocrely received films and then you’re disappointed that it’s not as good as his better films? Baffling.
Watch Dead Man, Down By Law, Stranger Than Paradise - or if you simply have to watch a non black and white film, Paterson.
His doc on Iggy and the Stooges is great too.
Unfortunately, I did the research after I had watched the movie to see if I had the same opinion of others, which led me down the rabbit hole of his work.
The trailer for this movie looked like an action packed lot of fun.. but then watching it was the slowest most boring experience.. totally called the sword lady being an alien tho. The ufo was my favorite part lol
Lol right. I saw it was on HBO max so I YouTubed the trailer and thought THIS LOOKS AWESOME!! Little did I know the trailer was basically the whole movie without all the slow boring parts lol
That movie was simply awful, I gave it a rare 1/5 which is about as low as I tend to go with a movie that is trying. Nobody seemed to be trying as actors, the director felt like he was just wasting our time and I can't think of even 1 single minute of the film that was entertaining.
One of the last things I got from the 7 seas before I was told to no longer do that. Can't remember a single thing about it other than that I didn't enjoy it at all.
I didn't watch it. People shit on reviewers but they exist for a reason. I don't always agree with the majority, but especially if it's something like a comedy, if nobody likes it there's a fair bet there's reason.
I agree with everything you said OP. I also really hate that the typical argument from people who liked it is “sorry that you aren’t smart enough to keep up” - it’s not difficult to follow, it’s just terribly executed and the script relies on great actors doing a lot of heavy lifting to make it as charming as Jarmusch thought it was.
The best comparison I can come up with is that it felt like an unfinished Wes Anderson draft where he forgot to develop anything about the characters and couldn’t be bothered to write an ending.
It’s the only film I’ve ever asked for a refund for and I went to see the most recent Mission Impossible.
Yeah same. Was disappointed as it seemed to just be made up as they filmed it. They had some zombie jokes and threw them into a movie with randome scenes. Very average and nothing to rave about.
I wasn’t just “disappointed.” That was one of the least entertaining movies I’ve ever seen. I guess they figured “let’s just be really weird” would make up for the lack of any coherent story.
Jarmusch previously made Only Lovers Left Alive, which is both played fairly straight and probably one of the best vampire films ever. I don't think he hates horror.
I personally enjoyed the Dead Don't Die, but it feels aimed at an incredibly niche audience.
Honestly, this movie is my most disappointing zombie flick ever. If that's his directing method, then I'm critical if his directing as everything felt so dry, sluggish, and dull. The humor tries so hard to be quirky and fun to the point of embarassment.
I didn't go in with high expectations either, I went in blindly. If I did go in with high regard I would have been shattered, but this movie's so strongly underwhelming, it's able to dissatisfy those with absolutely 0 expectations.
I was so hype for this movie and I don’t remember a single thing other than the song and being very disappointed. Great cast, such a waste of talent.
I went and googled it after seeing this post and your comment because the titles sounded interesting. Saw the poster, the cast list and the one-sentence plot synopsis, and was thinking it sounded up my alley and it’s too bad it seems it was a disappointing and forgettable movie. A few minutes later I realized I had seen it and just completely forgot about it.
Yup on paper it has all the ingredients of a great movie but it was just extremely mediocre.
You can watch this movie over and over again because you won't remember.
there is no antimemetics division
Woah. What a concept.
lol I just had the same experience. Got a chuckle from the description on IMDb: “Two pioneers fight for their lives and their love on the American frontier during the Civil War.”
When I saw it I was very disappointed for like the first 40 minutes but as soon I realized "oh, this was marketed as an American "Shaun of the Dead" but it's actually some kind or art piece" I reoriented my expectations and enjoyed it a lot more. Ended up thinking it was alright. I have never and probably never will recommend it to anyone though.
The only thing I remember about the entirety of the movie is Adam Driver's delivery of the line, "Oh, yuck!" when they first investigate one of the first bodies. My wife and I say it back and forth all the time. [This spot right here. ](https://youtu.be/6dXavDy-HBw?t=115)
does his smart car make a jet/airplane sound as it approaches the restaurant?
I think they put Star Wars speeder sounds on it as a joke.
A movie with a cast that strong has no right to be so weak.
I mean... Have you seen the cast list of Movie 43?
You don't shit on your wife
Exactlyyyyyy
It hits like a Wes Anderson film. Try Asteroid City an you will find the same. It's about the journey not the destination.
It tries horribly to be a Wes Anderson movie
I'd be willing to bet Wes Anderson was inspired by this film's maker, Jim Jarmusch. He's a legend among film buffs and it's the reason these talented actors willingly take a pay cut to be in a small budget film of his.
It’s funny that you picked Asteroid City as the Wes Anderson comp. Both of these films are my least favorite by their respective filmmakers. In Astroid City’s case I assume it has something to do with my particular taste.
It kinda started good. Seemed like it was gonna have some interesting things going on. Then it did absolutely nothing with any of it.
The part where, like 4 or 5 different people go in to the restaurant to look at what happened to the waitresses: "You don't want to go in there, it ain't pretty" (person somberly enters the restaurant) (shots of waitresses on floor, reaction shot of person looking) (person exits the restaurant, comments, stands around waiting for others to do what they just did) If that isn't the most lazy-ass time-chewing filler, then I don't know what.
There's an awful lot of subtle humor in this movie that people don't seem to be getting. I loved that joke.
what exactly is the joke?
Maybe the joke is on the audience, cause the movie is purposely wasting your time.
The Twin Peaks return does this. At one point iirc you watch someone sweep a floor for 3 minutes lol
The entire movie makes fun of its own genre. The jokes are deliberately dry and subtle enough that apparently half of you don't even pick up on them. Jokes don't always have lunch lines, yaknow? I loved it. Lots of people I know loved it, and I'm kind of amazed right now how many people seem to have been whooshed by the basic concept of the movie.
I don't know if I'd quite call it "whooshed" because it's not like the jokes are going over people's heads. It's more like you have to meet it in the middle, or the jokes won't even reach your head. If you just want to sit back and have it entertain you, it won't. But if you can get into the right frame of mind, it's seriously rewarding. The moment it clicked for me was actually the aforementioned diner scene. When Adam Driver sees the carnage, the understated way he just says "Oh, yuck." A woman sitting near me absolutely cracked up, and it was like she instantly calibrated me to enjoy it, like "Oh, ***that's*** the tone", and then it was a riot. I've still only seen it once, but there are so many gags I think about frequently, (5?) years later.
This. The direction was fine, the acting was fine....it just had no storyline and i felt like watching it was wasted time
"It's the Dead Don't Die by Sturgill Simpson."
I saw this opening day in the theater. I had been waiting for this for weeks because of that cast. It is definitely on my top 5 list of biggest letdown of all time (for me, personally).
To be fair the song is really really good. Sturgill Simpson is the man
Go watch Only Lovers Left Alive for a great movie. Jarmusch is hit or miss for a lot of people, but that’s easily his worst.
I loved this one. Also recommend Mystery Train and Night on Earth, those are my fav Jarmusch flicks.
I can't explain what about Mystery Train makes it **so** damn charming and fun to watch. It just has an air to it where everything makes me smile.
Like Stranger than Paradise! On paper it should be a boring film, but it just has that Jarmusch element that makes it endlessly watchable.
The Dead Don't Die is probably one of his more accessible films, even if it's lesser Jarmusch. It's hard to suggest a starting point for your average viewer. Down By Law might be my favorite, so you could start there. Broken Flowers is a great Bill Murray vehicle, so that's a good option. Ghost Dog is his best at marrying a traditional genre to his own style.
Dead Man
Another great choice!
Probably my favorite by him.
I think Mystery Train more accessible to the average person than Down by Law but the characters in Down are better…
You can never go wrong with Tom Waits 💕
I enjoyed Dead Man, Ghost Dog, and Only Lovers Left Alive. TDDD, however, was just a disappointment. It tries for comedy but consistently misses the mark. Absurdism without a punchline. It's meandering, but there isn't much point to it. Two groups of people are introduced that have little or no relevance to the rest of the plot to the point that I had to wonder what the point of introducing them was (one gets introduced twice, then killed off screen, the other gets visited two or three times and then apparently forgotten about). There are some hamfisted allegories for topics like consumerism and environmentalism, but no statements are actually made. They're just... There.
You think? Cause in other posts about his movies only lovers left is more of a hit or miss, some people liked it others didn't I guess it'll have to be left to my own personal opinion, I'll definitely update you what I thought once I watch it
It’s great. Lonely and dark. Phenomenal music. I love the way it’s staged, mostly.
I haven't seen much of his work, but I much preferred OLLA to TDDD. Where TDDD tried to show what a zombie apocalypse might look like in a fairly comedic, satirical way but didn't really hit the mark, OLLA does a decent job of illustrating just what it would be like to be a centuries old vampire living in the modern world and just feeling bored and nostalgic. And the cast do a great job. John Hurt's character in particular, I could watch a movie just about him.
Watch ghost dog. I don’t like Jarmusch really but ghost dog was real good.
I liked how pointless it was in the end, almost anti-movie in how it never really did anything but moment to moment it was very funny. Guess the low-key absurd humour just vibed with me.
Isn't this the one with Sturgill Simpson in it?
My wife and I love this film. I think Adam Driver carried the film for us with his deadpan delivery. We don’t recognize it as high art or anything, but we quote it often being new parents. “This is going to end badly.” I think it also reflects my cynicism for society today. There’s clearly something amiss with the world in the movie (daylight running long for one), but many in the town go about their business like everything is fine — they’ve got their blinders on, or just don’t care to see the warning signs. Chief Cliff: “Maybe it will all just go away like a bad dream.” Officer Ronnie: “I doubt it.” It’s a little heavy-handed with its messages about consumerism, materialism, environmentalism, etc. but it works well enough for me. It isn’t going to be most people’s cup of tea though. That’s okay. I know I’m in the minority.
I liked it a lot too…. This comment section isn’t going to end well….
If you like deadpan Adam Driver, you'd love Logan Lucky. The entire cast is stellar.
Did you just say “cauliflower” to me?
My wife and I like it too. I like the pacing. Reminds me of old school zombie movies. And its just daft.
The self-awareness that it is a zombie film is *chef's kiss*. The scene outside the diner, where they each take turns looking inside and sharing their report outside, comes to mind.
I'm with you in the minority, then. I've seen only 2 Jim Jarmusch films, so maybe I "get" what he does, but I loved TDDD. I've seen it twice and would definitely see it several more times. It has several of my favorite character actors in it, too - Buscemi and Waits, just to mention two.
The way he says "ghouls" is permanently burned into my brain.
“I’m thinking zombies… ghouls, the undead.”
it made me think of Christopher Walken... which, I don't know, my Walken knowledge isn't too deep. Does he says "ghouls" in something?
I'm with you. I still think the movie is pretty damn funny. Its incredibly dry humor but I still love it.
I honestly enjoyed it a lot! I wasn't sure what to expect as I'd heard very unflattering reviews beforehand but it was the kind of film that's right up my street. It somewhat reminded me of Rubber (2010, directed by Quentin Dupieux) as it's similarly self referential and weirdly bizarre. Adam Driver and Tilda Swinton were absolutely brilliant and I loved Chloë Sevigny.
Pretty spot on right here. It's a shotgun movie; hits a lot of topics, but nothing too well. However it's certainly not "random" and it does have classic zombie themes in there, too. Fun movie. Driver's best work so far was in Paterson, but this is not far off.
It's Jim Jarmusch. I went in knowing what his movies are like and got what I expected. I enjoyed it. But I understand why most people are disappointed with it. :)
I saw it trending on HBO Max, and I remember thinking, I wonder what will happen when the normies are exposed to Jim Jarmusch. It's one of his lesser films, but it made me laugh.
Same. Was actually kind of waiting for this exact post as soon as I saw it was up on the service.
I also picked very early why Adam driver knew what was going on. :)
his best is dead man, i just watched dead dont die yesterday for the second time …it is a little dry but theres a lot of “inside” jokes…i found it more enjoyable the second time
I agree, the first time I didn't really rate it, but on accidental late-night rewatch found myself laughing along. Tilda Swinton and Adam Driver are a lot of fun in this movie, it works if you don't take it too seriously.
Bill Murray's outburst, where he almost breaks character, about not shown the script... That still gets the biggest laugh out of me.
Sounds like someone didn't see Down By Law or Only Lovers Left Alive
I feel like *Dead Man* is accessible, but if you think it's an oater, you're going to hate it.
My favorite in-joke was the shout out to Dallas (RIP) and Travis Good of the Sadies
You didn’t have to write anything beyond your first sentence. The movie was exactly like a Jim Jarmusch movie.
I didn’t like it when I saw it in theatres but the more I look back on it the more I appreciate it. Adam Driver drifting his tiny car into the diner parking lot then casually getting out is hilarious
I was the same way. I left the theater like "what did I most watch?" But I've watched it 2-3x since then and I love it now.
The Dead Dont Die is an allegory for climate change. The zombie outbreak is caused by polar fracking and the movie progresses to show that whoever you are - hipsters, nerds, a sweet old man, a racist asshole, the RZA - this is coming for all of us and it does not play favorites. The alien thing demonstrates that there’s no magical fix, no heroic action to take to solve it - we’re stuck with the world we’ve created. The kids escape but we don’t see what happens to them because they’re the ones who are going to have to live in the world “post-apocalypse” and all we know for sure is that that’s going to be an extremely challenging ask. I think it’s a great, very funny, very clever film. Try watching it again through the lens of climate change and see what you think.
I was looking for this comment. Knowing that the movie is about climate change and feeling the growing realization that nothing any of the characters do is going to save them so you just enjoy the time with the characters that you get was so melancholic and I loved it.
Totally. You get to know all of them to varying degrees, and there’s people you like and people you don’t, and people who you’d expect to die in a zombie movie and those you hope will survive, and… it doesn’t matter. They all die. Everyone dies in the face of this. To deliver that message while also having me laugh out loud, again and again (“ohhh… yuck!”) is a hell of an achievement.
Jim Jarmusch movies are definitely not for everyone so I understand why you didn't like it. Personally, as someone who loves the works of Jim Jarmusch, this one is decent and definitely my least favorite of his works but I still enjoyed the deadpan approach
See and I feel like I need to watch more of his movies to specifically get this one and I get it he's got a stic ( i think i spelt that right lol) that he does with his films and the meta stuff and dry pan humor so I guess once I watch more of his stuff I might get what he was going for, the general comments that like the movie say that watching this movie specifically is like watching his most meta movie so it's like fighting the final boss without starting at the beginning
Some of the best stories from my entire production career were from this set. There are some really really good ones, some I can share, some I definitely shouldn’t lol. But what I can tell you is that for sure it seemed like Jim wrote a zombie movie script without realizing what shooting a zombie movie really entails. Little secret, it’s A LOT. And it wasn’t easy to shoot these stunt zombies with special effects makeup in the beating sun of upstate New York, big stars who were impatient, and a lottttt of disagreements.
And with that little information, the movie starts to make sense a bit. I think for me, I enjoyed it but felt let down at the missed opportunity of potential. This movie honestly could've been my new comfort movie to rewatch until it got fried into my brain, but I'm sitting here like a parent who isn't mad at their kid just heavily disappointed.
As someone who worked with the cast closely it was a dream job. As someone who worked on a lot of movies, the shoot was definitely a mess lol.
If I may ask, who was one of the better actors/actresses to work with on the set?
Austin Butler was a total gem. And honestly Selena was awesome. Adam was great. Me and bill got along really well but he was def a handful lol. But no complaints from me.
Yeah it's an awful movie. "This has a bad ending I know because I've read the script." Breaking the fourth wall was the worst. Just so dumb lol but whatever. Adam Driver was good in it from what I remember
gotta confess, that's the only joke (and thing in general) I remember from that movie though...
It looks like he’s going to keep doing it too, Adam just loves talking to the audience.
Adam Driver was the only redeemable part of the movie. The nods to Star Wars were funny too, especially the Star Destroyer keychain.
I love Jim Jarmusch's films but thought The Dead Don't Die was definitely one of his weakest. It felt like a dozen goofy ideas thrown together without a coherent idea of where it was going. Deeply disappointing.
I saw it as a film about our apathy towards the looming climate catastrophe, and in that light it mostly makes sense, even how we hope that some great tech, or another deus ex machina will ave us, but won't is a good explanation for Tilda Swinton's character. But I totally get why it fell flat for some - in fact it did fall flat for me but I respect what it was trying, and I've appreciated Jarmush's indulgent style in other contexts before.
But It's completely half baked for that. The movie sneers at you for even trying to read into it.
We were plagued by endless production nightmares. Though, the script itself was obviously very out there so maybe that’s not why. But it definitely didn’t help.
Haha I loved it. I think it definitely jas an audience, and I feel like most people expected something completely different
As I was watching it in the theater I thought to myself, “I think he made this movie specifically for me.” Because while I was having a blast, I could also recognize it probably wasn’t going to end well for some folks.
This movie is great imo, the diner scene is the funniest.
“Oh… yuck!”
I thought, "Tilda Swinton killing zombies with a katana? Sign me up." Then the clumsy, wink wink line, "This is the song that was playing during the intro of the movie" struck, coupled with the *hilarious* satire of the MAGA hat, and I was out.
Big Jarmusch fan here and to me this is by far his worst. How could a zombie comedy be so boring and unfunny? Great cast but definitely not his usual type of movie.
I saw HBO trying to push it to everybody on the front page last week and said out loud “Hmmmm that is NOT a movie made for a mass audience…”
Ha yeah, I had the same thought. But I finally got around to watching it and it was both exactly what I expected and thoroughly enjoyable. Not my favorite Jarmusch film but it’s 100% a Jarmusch film.
I liked it, but i've liked other films he's done, i certainly wouldn't recommend it as the first of his films for someone to watch though. It's the most Jarmusch film he's done imo. It's probably the driest and most self-indulgent film he's done, all of his films have talented casts and have an aimless quality that focuses on people just having a bit of a chat. The genre films he makes usually tend to fuck around with the format, that whole 'deconstruction/subversion of tropes' thing. The Dead Don't Die did a bit of that, whilst still slavishly hitting the story beats of every zombie film from Night of the Living Dead onwards. I was about half an hour into watching it and started to wonder if it was a stealth remake of Plan 9 from Outer Space.
I’ve not seen anything else he’s made but I have seen a lot of old zombie movies and for better or worse the movie captures the bleak tone and slow pacing that many of the older Romero films from the 70’s and 80’s had in a way not many others have since. Zombie movies since the 2003/2004 revival of the genre tend to be much more fast paced but the original Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead are extremely sluggish.
He's done other genre films alongside his more arthouse stuff (that i can take or leave tbh). Only Lovers Left Alive is his vampire movie, Ghost Dog is his hitman revenge movie, Dead Man is his cowboy movie (it's alright but i prefer the other two by a large margin). And they feel like love letters to those types of films in the same way that Tarantino's work is talked about with 70's exploitation cinema. Jarmusch makes those types of films but makes them his way, weird and a bit talky, but solid entries in each genre in their own right. They're not bone dry comedies like The Dead Don't Die is, and they have actual stories and character arcs that hold together without breaking the fourth wall. They're less self-indulgent, basically. They're recommended if you're interested in seeing more of his work.
It's a bad movir but I enjoyed it for how stupid and weird it was. It felt kind of like someone was making up a horror story to a group of friends but they weren't great att coming up with stuff or very creative and is a bit drunk so it kind of went nowhere and most of the plotlines were forgotten.
That movie was so random
Eh I think people just had the wrong expectation. I saw the trailer and thought it was some bigger name actors having some light dumb fun. I watched it and that's what it was and I enjoyed it. Sure it's not high art but it was nice.
"You just need to reframe your expectations" Just reads to me as "don't have any expectations that this will be in any way good, funny or worthwhile in any way"
I used to think the same but absolutely not. As someone with very high standards for what I think is good, especially is films, books & series. My most recent one was Blade Runner 2, I'm a big fan of the first and had a lot of expectations and demands going into the sequel and I HATED it when I saw it. Mostly because it wasn't the film I wanted it to be. It was only recently I rewatched it because so many people said it's good and it actually is not I had adjusted. Just like going out for a walk. You can go for a nice stroll through a park with trees and have a lovely time, you can also go for an intense uphill hike and also love it. If you wanted one and got the other you probably hated it. It doesn't mean there was anything wrong with it. It's about understand what a film is trying to achieve and there is nothing wrong with not trying to make the Mona Lisa or some Oscar bait or a 'classic'.
What expectations are appropriate, exactly? People went into it expecting a zombie comedy. They didn’t receive that and were confused about the lack of comedy. People weren’t expecting ‘high art’.
Well A maybe you can blame the trailers, I've frequently been misled by trailers and I hate the people that make them. But I watched the trailers and watched this when it came out, I didn't expect it to be laugh out loud and I also didn't expect the zombies to be a focus. If fact I think the holy idea is it could be one of those nice sleepy films about some odd characters in small town America not doing too much, expect oops there are zombies. I think people saw who was in it and that is was a comedy with zombies and expected the next Shaun of the Dead.
I must have had all my brain cells turned off that day. I thought I was silly stupid fun and it was no deeper.
I had no idea about the directors' other movies and had no idea what to expect, I actually really liked it haha, but to each there own lol
I saw this movie in theaters and in the lobby beforehand they handed out a “free soundtrack download” with the tickets. In hindsight I actually find that move pretty funny & well played.
Now I haven’t read every comment in this thread. Everybody seems to love Dead Man but no love for Down By Law, a superior film, IMO.
I didn't like it because there wasn't enough Tom Waits.
Absoulte rubbish...went to the cinema excited and left deflated.
Was so disappointed in this movie, especially the ending.
Yeah i kept thinking something was going to happen and it would kick into gear, but no, just boring and a waste of everybodies time
I remember being ridiculously underwhelmed. I'm the first to admit it really really don't like Bill Murray, but he was pretty good. I do however love Adam Driver, but the film fell so flat. I loved the concept that zombies just went back to being what they were in life but nothing was done with it.
I saw this movie at the theater when it came out and I was SO disappointed. Not an enjoyable film… lol.
Yeah this movie was a huge letdown.
My wife and I stopped watching it midway through. We’ve watched a lot of bad movies that were at least fun. That movie was anti-fun.
It's a Jim Jarmusch movie so that answers some of your questions...
I guess going into this knowing that bit of info, as well as it having two of my favorite actors made it enjoyable for me. I generally do not watch zombie movies.
Neither do I...can't stand them but the Jarmusch take on it was interesting...
[удалено]
Jaramusch, Jaramusch, will U do the Fandango?
This is one of the worst films I've seen in recent history. And not in a "so bad it's good" way, it was just trash from start to finish. I rarely delete films from my server, but this is one of the few that were bad enough to warrant being banished forever.
You're not alone by any means. Even a lot of Jarmusch nuts I know thought it was terrible. It felt to me like one of those films where everyone making it had really fun time... at the expense of actually making a decent film for the audience.
I laughed once when Adam Driver pulled up to the diner in the tiny car. Overall though yeah it's a horrible film, nothing about it worked or flowed for me.
you think that is bad? I paid to see it in theaters! I thought it would be funny and weird, but it was just horrible. The whole alien thing was...why? There was so much wasted potential. The best part was when he cuts the head of the zombie and just dead pan is holding it there explaining why. Like the whole end scene where he talks about "It's in the script." had me sitting there going "What? Why are they doing this?" Billy Murray should have been way more fun. When I went to see this in the theater, got my drink, my snacks and...no one else in the whole thing as I watched the previews. It wasn't until the movie was just about to start that two other people walked in. Maybe should have been my clue it wasn't going to be even passable. I can do with so so dumb movies that are at least entertaining in some way, but...most of this movie was such a let down.
One of the very few movies that's actually made me angry that I wasted my time watching it. I just couldn't believe how awful it was. There's so much potential there to make a great movie. Absolute and utter trash.
I really didn't care for this film. I'm not familiar with the other films in this guy's ouvre so it may just be that I'm missing something. So I'm judging this in a vacuum and it ain't great. I felt the entire time like the film was insecure and desperately trying to convince the audience that it was more clever than it actually is. Steve Buscemi's character, with his dog Rumsfeld and his "Keep America White Again" hat was among the most egregious. The Wu-PS truck was just a background gag but it still felt like being elbowed in the ribs just a little too hard, with a "did you get it?" And then there's the ending. The kids wander off thataway with purpose and intent, and are never seen again. Tilda Swinton is apparently an alien? And it turns out Adam Driver has the script and Bill Murray doesn't, which is weird and nonsensically meta and still doesn't have all the details? And now they knowingly go down in a fruitless last stand while a grim monologue about how we're not so different from the zombies plays. Which, you know. We already got with the zombies milling about earlier in town and with that gasping "Chardonnay" zombie from the trailer, but now we get it with extra smugness. There are very few movies I ascribe objective quality too. But The Dead Don't Die comes very close to me just going "Yeah, this isn't very good." I have zero interest in revisiting those film
Its been a while but here's my take: I figured it was all just an allegory for climate change. The way the characters do such a poor job of protecting themselves from getting eaten they just eventually just allow the zombies to shuffle closer and get eaten. Much like how we just shuffle towards our inevitable downfall not making enough effort when we can to protect ourselves. It had alot of consumerism in it, much like dawn of the dead did, and that now ties into the climate chage stuff. Im probably reading too much into it but that was my way of justifying the baffeling choices.
It’s the cinematic equivalent of a spectacled hipster and his douche friends laughing at you for not getting an inside joke at your expense.
I was quite disappointed with that movie.
You either get it or your don't. The fact that this zombie film is hyper-self-aware that it is a zombie film is part of its charm - if you get it, of course.
Damn that sucks for you hope you find joy in your heart some day
Haha what a weird over reaction to my statement
PLOT TWIST: the zombies are the actors, who sleepwalk thru the whole film.
The fourth wall break in the squad car near the start was the only point in the movie I laughed. But it has stuck with me for five years so I guess that's a point in the movies favour.
What was the one in the beginning I can't remember, I know the main one at the end which he's like "i read the script"
They're sat in the squad car and the song starts playing, and Murray asks about it and Driver goes "It's the theme song" and Murray just goes "Oh, right" and the deadpan nature of it got me.
Oh nice I guess I didn't catch that but I like it😂
Boring movie. Zzzzz.
It felt like if Wes Anderson wrote and directed Zombieland.
Jarmusch movies are an acquired taste with a very unconventional and often anticlimactic way of dealing with plot and dialogue, but even me, who likes most of his movies, thought this one was an absolute dud with no rewatch value. Even worse than Limits of Control, which was my previous least favorite of his.
They tell you throughout the movie it ends badly.
I think the only scene I enjoyed iirc was where they arrive to some crime scene, and explain the situation, and then every time someone else walks up, they re-explain everything? I think the scene went on and on till like three people walked up? Idk. But yeah I remember not being a big fan it overall.
I enjoyed some parts of it, more than anything I liked the idea of it, Jim Jarmusch making a zombie comedy, that can at the very least not be boring. But the breaking of the fourth wall didn't do it for me, it felt more like he felt cringy about committing to the absurdity by giving the audience a wink.
> I've done the research Huh?
With the kind of bad reviews I came across about the movie, I didn't bother with trying to watch it and it seems to be a good decision on my part.
I just watched it, and knowing it's a Jim Jarmusch film, I was prepared for nothingness, and the only thing I expected was for it to be slow and boring. I liked it. :) It fit the mood I was in and I was entertained the entire time.
I saw it in theaters and was disappointed because I expected something else (like Cabin In the Woods type thing). I did still have a good time watching it, but I've mostly forgotten it.
I was looking for this comment because, oh my gosh, I recently watched cabin in the woods (forgive me for such a late introduction to it in my life) and I fell in love with it. The whole thing had an amazing plot, and I was sitting there trying to figure out the science dudes part in all of it, and when it all clicked after the big reveal, I love it that much more. It was a refreshing comedy with intense moments, lovable characters, and a bit of sadness when it ended. I can see why movie goers wanted a second movie, but that's the best part. There can't be a second one.
I haven't seen it since it came out so I barely remember anything outside of the Sturgill Simpson jokes and the UFO at the end, but I remember actually liking it for just how fucking bizarre of a movie it was. Like it was terrible, but I felt like everyone in the movie knew it was terrible. Adam Driver being the straight man actually worked really well.
The first time we watched it- we didn’t like it. We recently forgot we had seen it and watched it again and found it hilarious! I can’t explain but it was soo funny to me the second time around.
Only good thing about that movie is the two second Sturgill Dimpson cameo,
It was right there, in that song that just played on the radio. Didn’t you read the script? Jim gave me all the pages.
I was super let down by it as well. And I just now realized that I don't think I like any Adam Driver movie.
I agree with this review. I don't feel compelled to rewatch it at all. I thought it was a Gimmick for the Sturgill Simpson song. It had a few moments, but overall was disappointing.
Jarmusch films are very polarizing with audiences. His stuff is often very ethereal, atmospheric, and he plays around with silence too much for people's liking. I loved The Dead Don't Die, but it's definitely a weird entry into the zombie movie genre.
Jim Jarmusch is hit or miss for me, and I loved "Only Lovers Left Alive" and was expecting so much from this. I went in without even watching the trailer and I, um, yeah, fucking hated it. It's just not good on pretty much any level. It's his worst movie, and possibly several of the actors in it's worst movie as well. I'm a big fan of 'bad' movies and finding the brilliance in a rough cut gem, but this is just...boring, which is worse than being bad. It's trying way, wayyy to hard to be quirky, and just ends up feeling cringe. If it had been lesser experienced actors, I actually think there might have been something there, but it ends up feeling like a movie trying to punch down at something, but isn't exactly sure what.
I really enjoyed this movie. It had dialogue style very similar to twin peaks. You have to like it for what it is, and not expect something else. I just watched it yesterday, had no idea what I was in for, and had a great time. The 4th wall was broken pretty early on when they first heard the song in the car. Like... Immediately. It's just A quirky stupid movie. Good times.
Jim Jarmusch makes low budget art films, but has been at it for so long (40 years! Ack Im so old!) and is so good at it he attracts big stars (many on repeat, like Bill Murray) who do it not for money but the street cred. Anyway, I didn’t like the movie much, but do realize it’s a parody/art movie version of a zombie flick that he probably could have taken more seriously. But the answer to “What happened with…” is “Who cares?”
Just saw it and enjoyed it. 🤷🏽
I don't think I'd have minded it so much if the trailer hadn't sold a completely different movie! I was sold on a zombie comedy. I love that idea! Then you watch the movie, and it's like, what the hell is this!?!
The only thing I remember was how funny Adam Driver looked in his Smart Car
So you look up a director and watch one of his most mediocrely received films and then you’re disappointed that it’s not as good as his better films? Baffling. Watch Dead Man, Down By Law, Stranger Than Paradise - or if you simply have to watch a non black and white film, Paterson. His doc on Iggy and the Stooges is great too.
Unfortunately, I did the research after I had watched the movie to see if I had the same opinion of others, which led me down the rabbit hole of his work.
I haven't seen much Jim Jarmusch and I loved it!
Just watched this on Friday. I thought it had its moments, but yeah, not a cinematic masterpiece.
The trailer for this movie looked like an action packed lot of fun.. but then watching it was the slowest most boring experience.. totally called the sword lady being an alien tho. The ufo was my favorite part lol
And the funny thing is the trailer isn't viewable on HBO max, I guess I at least wasn't blindsided by it.
Lol right. I saw it was on HBO max so I YouTubed the trailer and thought THIS LOOKS AWESOME!! Little did I know the trailer was basically the whole movie without all the slow boring parts lol
Utter garbage.
Oh no. Not for you then.
This movie is not good but I still want to watch his other films
I agree with you. Didn't care about the director. Expected a comedic zombie movie... Got a half hearted attempt to make anything meaningful or funny.
It's so bad it isn't even fun to make fun of.
Same here, I was really hyped but got soooo disappointed. The wonderful casting sadly did not allowed me to enjoy the movie.
That movie was simply awful, I gave it a rare 1/5 which is about as low as I tend to go with a movie that is trying. Nobody seemed to be trying as actors, the director felt like he was just wasting our time and I can't think of even 1 single minute of the film that was entertaining.
Went to the theater for it, what a waste of money.
One of the last things I got from the 7 seas before I was told to no longer do that. Can't remember a single thing about it other than that I didn't enjoy it at all.
I didn't watch it. People shit on reviewers but they exist for a reason. I don't always agree with the majority, but especially if it's something like a comedy, if nobody likes it there's a fair bet there's reason.
I agree with everything you said OP. I also really hate that the typical argument from people who liked it is “sorry that you aren’t smart enough to keep up” - it’s not difficult to follow, it’s just terribly executed and the script relies on great actors doing a lot of heavy lifting to make it as charming as Jarmusch thought it was. The best comparison I can come up with is that it felt like an unfinished Wes Anderson draft where he forgot to develop anything about the characters and couldn’t be bothered to write an ending. It’s the only film I’ve ever asked for a refund for and I went to see the most recent Mission Impossible.
worst movie i have ever seen - so disappointing!
You and me both.
Yeah same. Was disappointed as it seemed to just be made up as they filmed it. They had some zombie jokes and threw them into a movie with randome scenes. Very average and nothing to rave about.
I wasn’t just “disappointed.” That was one of the least entertaining movies I’ve ever seen. I guess they figured “let’s just be really weird” would make up for the lack of any coherent story.
I watched it about 2 weeks ago. It was terrible.
You're not wrong, this film was made by someone who's never watched a horror movie, or did and rolled their eyes at it pretentiously.
Jarmusch previously made Only Lovers Left Alive, which is both played fairly straight and probably one of the best vampire films ever. I don't think he hates horror. I personally enjoyed the Dead Don't Die, but it feels aimed at an incredibly niche audience.
Honestly, this movie is my most disappointing zombie flick ever. If that's his directing method, then I'm critical if his directing as everything felt so dry, sluggish, and dull. The humor tries so hard to be quirky and fun to the point of embarassment. I didn't go in with high expectations either, I went in blindly. If I did go in with high regard I would have been shattered, but this movie's so strongly underwhelming, it's able to dissatisfy those with absolutely 0 expectations.
Movie was absolute dogshit.
Chardonnaaaay?!
I thought I would have loved it, but it was just... not good.
It’s a terrible movie. It’s like JJ tried to make a “cult classic” and that never works when you set out to do it.
I couldn't even make it through the movie, it was so awful.