by Mary Beth McAndrews
Zombies are a horror staple, especially thanks to the works of one George A. Romero. We’ve seen slow zombies, fast zombies, smart zombies, zombies that eat brains, zombies that just eat flesh, we’ve seen it all. So how could you create something unique in an oversaturated landscape? Enter Jim Jarmusch, the mind behind Only Lovers Left Alive, who creates his own strange yet silly zombie-filled world in The Dead Don’t Die, which is dominating the charts on Max.
In the film, per Max, “Zombies terrorize a small town, whose sheriff happens to be Bill Murray. Hilarity and splatter ensue in this engaging horror spoof.“
The film doesn’t just feature Adam Driver and Bill Murray. Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Selena Gomez, Austin Butler, Danny Glover, RZA, and Larry Fessenden also star in The Dead Don’t Die. Jarmusch stacks the cast with a who’s who of his favorite actors and musicians all to create his own strange version of life after the zombie apocalypse.
The Dead Don’t Die had its world premiere at the opening night of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Despite Jarmusch’s pedigree and the bevy of talent, the film was initially met with mixed critic reactions. Many criticized the script and the strange humor on display that never hits its stride. But others were tickled by the deadpan delivery and the way Jarmusch plays with genre expectations.
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