The Dead Don’t Die (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 2019) – Zombies rise in the quiet town of Centerville, pitting its citizens against an unexpected apocalypse.
Verdict
Auteur Jim Jarmusch lets none of his dark wit obscure what his latest film truly is – a tragic ode to the quiet death of humanity.
Review
Calamity befalls the once peaceful Centerville, where farmer Miller (Steve Buscemi) has reported his poultry missing. Police trio Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray), Ronnie Petersen (Adam Driver), and Mindy Morrison (Chloë Sevigny) soon discover two mutilated corpses at the town’s diner, then two open graves at the cemetery.
“This is all gonna end badly,” Petersen mutters as he identifies the responsible culprits in no time – zombies. He repeats the words, convinced that the town’s destruction is but inevitable.
Consider his mantra a big, pessimistic hint at what Jim Jarmusch may just be saying with his latest elegiac work. Indeed, The Dead Don’t Die is far from the typical cautionary tale. It is an irate, bitter rebuke against the hordes of us, responsible for the mess that is the world today.

The satire is not one for subtlety, either. As the radio bluntly attributes polar fracking to the cause of an imminent apocalypse, the citizens of Centreville look on wide-eyed, helpless in changing things. The state of apathy leaves little wonder why the band of heroes lose hope, just as quickly as the dead alive population grows.
Even the living dead themselves reek of cynicism. Brains are far from their broken minds, craving for wi-fi and Siri as much as they do, drugs. The new breed of zombies takes a notch up on George A. Romero’s original sociopolitical metaphor; the apocalypse is already here.

The dead don’t die, anymore than you and I, Sturgill Simpson croons through the radio. Jarmusch’s cynicism comes through strong and brusque, and would almost certainly find little love in a mainstream audience. Add to that his disinterest in conformity, unafraid to unleash a taste of the outlandish, when the undertaker Zelda (Tilda Swinton) unsheaths her sword before her unpredictable secret.
It all gets a little mad. Yet who can say the real world isn’t just as, if not more absurd? Even with its offbeat tone, the dark satire makes its point loud and clear. The result may very well find a cult following with an astute few, privy to Jarmusch’s depressing reality.
Great review and analysis of the Dead Don’t Die. I just didn’t enjoy the film as much as I’d hoped. His previous film Paterson was just brilliant though. His vampire film too was better in many ways as well.
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Thank you for the kind words! I do understand why some may not enjoy this one; I thought it was much less nuanced than his other works. And Paterson’s definitely on my watchlist! 😊
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Oh, Paterson is brilliant. Such a simple and human story about life and poetry. Adam Driver is a revelation in a very quiet role.
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There aren’t many Jarmusch flicks I haven’t liked and I was keen to see this one. Missed it, but I’ll see it when it’s out on DVD / streaming. Looked like a rare treat.
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A rare treat is right! I’m hoping to catch more Jarmusch film myself; love his style.
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Don’t quite know what to make of this one. I’m not a huge fan of comedies, but it doesn’t seem to be JUST a comedy. I liked your review enough to maybe give it a go at some point, but with a lot of other movies I still need to see, this one hasn’t got a high priority 😊
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Jim Jarmusch films are tough to categorise, but you’re right in that it’s not just a comedy. Do hope you get to see this sometime, despite the long to-watch list! 😀
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Mini Driver! I died. I actually died.
I still can’t get over that image! Really glad you enjoyed this one 🙂
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It’s the best Adam Driver photo out there, I’m sure of it. 😉
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I’m a little tired of zombies but Bill Murray in a satire will always have me curious enough to check it out.
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This one’s not quite the typical zombie flick, and Bill Murray’s always fantastic. 🙂
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