There have been countless examples of movies or TV shows getting new life years after release and finding a spot on the Netflix trending list. It most recently happened with Jim Jarmusch’s 2019 quirky horror movie, The Dead Don’t Die, which is currently being eaten up by those with a Netflix subscription (it was the third most popular movie at the time of the writing). And I can’t get over it.
I’m not going to lie, I’ve never felt more justified in loving something as much as I do now. I mean, it’s been five years since one of the most productive zombie apocalypse videos ever made came out and divided the public (many of my colleagues and friends didn’t like it). I’m not just saying this because The Dead Don’t Die is one of the most productive videos on Netflix right now, I’m going to start getting excited, but hear me out. . .
When The Dead Don’t Die came out, I remember being so excited to tell people how much I loved the offbeat zombie movie about a town dealing with an army of ghouls and then being immediately bummed when all but one of my friends liked it. It wasn’t just in my circle, either, as the movie has a 54% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and 38% on the Popcornmeter (the fan score).
As I delved deeper into the topic, I went back to see what my colleagues at CinemaBlend thought about it at the time. While we gave the film a 3/5 score in our official review of The Dead Don’t Die, this is the highest score among the staff. The average score is only 2. 4/5, worse than Men in Black International, any other film released the same weekend.
Do I have bad taste, or was pretty much everyone else failing to see the best in an awkward horror comedy starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Selena Gomez?
I watched the film once or twice after checking it out the first time, but I had largely put it in the back of my mind. Like, it became one of those movies that I’d only think about when talking about Adam Driver’s best movies or when Sturgill Simpson’s “The Dead Don’t Die” played on Spotify.
So, you can probably believe how surprised and excited I was when I saw the star-studded zombie movie on Netflix’s most sensible trending list. What is happening here? How did this random movie that only a small organization of other people (including me) enjoyed five years ago become more popular than Barbie and Megan Fox’s sexy robot movie? I’m just glad that more people are in a position to see Bill Murray calmly deal with a zombie outbreak after all those years.
When it comes to zombie movies (or horror movies in general) with massive casts, this one is in a league of its own. Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Chloë Sevigny all play cops, Tilda Swinton plays a katana-wielding funeral home director, Danny Glover plays a hardware store owner, Selena Gomez and a pre-Elvis Austin Butler play young travelers, Iggy Pop, RZA, and Tom Waits play random characters, and Carol Kane plays a drunk zombie looking for a bottle of chardonnay.
And that’s just part of the cast. I’m convinced that people can finally see those actors face (or become) zombies. Sure, some of the lines make it seem like the actors were reading their lines for the first time, but it actually adds to the charm. of what I have long considered one of the most productive horror videos of all time. Everyone in this film, even the actors most associated with dramatic roles, turns out to be having an unforgettable time.
The Dead Don’t Die is an incredibly meta movie. This is one of the most important meta-horror films I’ve ever seen, and that aspect adds a lot to the film. I’m just pleased that now more and more people are experiencing it for themselves. Does that mean everyone likes it? No no. But other people look at him like crazy.
There are scenes where characters reference their presence in a movie when talking about the name of the song, but there’s also a moment near the end where host Ronnie Peterson tells Murray’s Cliff Roberton that he knew things would end badly. because he read it in the script that “Jim” gave him. He faces death and Driver is sitting there with this awkward, deadpan expression talking about the story. Bright!
I don’t know how many people know this, but Sturgill Simpson can write a very intelligent song. They’ve released some of my favorite albums over the last fifteen years, and their title track here is honestly one of the best additions to their discography. The song is used continually in the film, adding a rather captivating scene in which Selena Gomez drives down a lonely country road.
Sounds like an old gospel song like “What are you doing today in heaven?”, this wonderfully composed and directed country song is perfect, even without the context of the film. Simpson’s “Breakers Roar” from his 2016 LP, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, was masterfully used in a surely surprising scene from this previous year’s Civil War, and “The Dead Don’t Die” is used in a more comedic way to fit the zombie movie tone, it has a similar charming effect that helps the scene slide.
And if you haven’t already, this song is a wonderful addition to the work of one of today’s greatest and most creative country singers.
There are plenty of zombie videos to come, but I doubt we’ll see anything like The Dead Don’t Die anytime soon or ever again. But it’s not all bad news, because we are blessed with a smart and messy age.
Stream The Dead Don’t Die on Netflix.
Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. When he’s not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found chasing around his 3 children, telling his dogs to avoid barking at the mailman, or talking about professional wrestling with his wife. Writing contracts for school newspapers, various dailies, and other professional reports has brought him to the point where he can write about movies, entertainment, wrestling, and documentaries. (which is a huge victory in their eyes). If the stars align correctly, you’ll say For Love Of The Game is the most productive baseball movie of all time.
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