The Dead Don’t Die

By: Gavin Seetaram

Too much. That’s how I’d described The Dead Don’t Die. There are too many celebrities. There are too many zombies. Yes, the film takes a comedic look at climate change and consumerism. However, the message gets convoluted by saturation. Zombie fans will come to the film hoping for a “The Walking Dead” or Zombieland-like post-apocalypse piece and leave wondering where there was more message than madness.

Director and writer Jim Jarmusch brings back his usual cast of characters to star in the film – Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, etc. to star in his latest flick. Set in the small town of Centerville, the world begins to change when animals begin acting up and daylight hours start to shift. The oddest behavior of all though is when the dead rise from their graves and attacking townspeople. Police Chief Robertson (Bill Murray) and Officer Peterson (Adam Driver) are tasked with finding a way to manage the onslaught.

Remember when we mentioned consumerism was a part of the film? Well, it seems like the zombies in the movie have a penchant for certain products. They want coffee, WIFI, wine…basically your favorite must-have item. The only person seeming to enjoy the zombie death toll is the town undertaker (Tilda Swinton). There are; however, some new local teens in town who seem to have a handle on how zombie apocalypses typically run with Ronnie warning, “This is not going to end well.” We can’t help but to wonder if he actually means the movie.

As you can see, the plot is hard to follow. The only thing of interest is waiting for the next celeb cameo (Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Tom Waits, etc.) to pop up. Jim Jarmusch may have hoped to knock home a film with the message that recycling and unplugging is the way to a better future. What he will get is viewers standing up and walking away from the zombie touted film The Dead Don’t Die with their minds more mush than when they sat down.