Netflix Is Breathing New Life Into A Forgotten Adam Driver & Bill Murray Zombie Movie

The world is full of underrated zombie movies that you really need to see, and when one of them was made by Jim Jarmusch and features a laundry list of Hollywood’s finest actors, there’s no shame in being doubly intrigued. The movie in question is none other than the 2019 horror comedy “The Dead Don’t Die,” which is currently seeing plenty of success on Netflix. In fact, the decidedly un-seasonal film is sitting at a very respectable third position on the streaming platform’s Top 10 daily most viewed movies as of December 22, 2024 (per FlixPatrol).

In many ways, “The Dead Don’t Die” is a perfect movie for the streaming age. A decidedly off-kilter film with a slow pacing and thematic choices that made it difficult for audiences and critics to swallow (as evidenced by its 54 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes), it failed to set the box office ablaze during its original theatrical run. On the flip side of the coin, however, it’s a zombie movie with a hugely stacked cast that features names like Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny, Danny Glover, Selena Gomez, Austin Butler, and Rosie Perez — as well as musicians RZA, Tom Waits, and Iggy Pop. Combine this with the fact that its lackluster box office success means tons of people simply haven’t had the opportunity to watch the movie already, and it’s not difficult to see why the film is enjoying a healthy Netflix run. 

“The Dead Don’t Die” is an unconventional zombie movie, to say the least. While it features comedic elements, it’s certainly no “Shaun of the Dead.” Instead, it leans toward absurd turns and allegories while leads Murray and Driver remain steadfastly stone-faced. The zombie apocalypse that’s unveiling in the small town of Centerville is caused by polar fracking and serves as an explicit reminder of climate change, but the heavy-handed moments often give way to scenes like a katana-wielding Tilda Swinton in full “Kill Bill” mode.

In other words, “The Dead Don’t Die” is a movie that contains multitudes. While /Film’s 2019 review of Jarmusch’s zombie comedy found it lacking in bite, it seems that streaming has given the movie a thematically appropriate second life. “The Dead Don’t Die” isn’t easy to like, but that’s why it’s brilliant — and judging by its Netflix success, lots of viewers who have dared to uncork this unique bottle of cinematic wine are finding that it’s aged quite well.