Over Your Dead Body is a wild ride and likely the best theater experience I have ever been a part of at its premiere at SXSW this year.
The film is a funny and insane concept from start to finish with two of the most interesting actors in the respective comedy and thriller genres in Jason Segel and Samara Weaving. The film, from the moment the premise is introduced, constantly escalates the stakes and the chaos beyond what the audiences expect, it’s a bloody mess that is composed of a climax scene that feels like the peak absurdity and then immediately follows with something even crazier. The audience experience was absolutely wild with everyone cheering and yelling at every scene in a way that brought you into the film and not out of it, it felt like the perfect moment to see it. Over Your Dead Body succeeds through its relentless twists, comedic performances, and chaotic energy, creating one of the most entertaining experiences of the year so far, and further the best film of the year so far.
Dan, played by Jason Segel and Lisa, by Samara Weaving are a married couple heading to their cabin for the week to get a break away and hunt, but the plot unravels when both reveal that they have plans to kill each other instead of solving their marital troubles. Their schemes collide together and fall apart when they end up fighting all over the house and accidentally killing a friend, until they run into three escaped convicts hidden in their house, turning everything around into a violent mess. The two must change from wanting to kill each other to escaping the real danger, in a comedic journey that combines their crazed marriage hatred-minds with the brutality of the situation to survive and escape the chaos they created.
Segel and Weaving’s performances are so much fun throughout the film, they aren’t spectacular but they are exactly what they need to be to elevate the film to something great. The performances show the exact examples the two explained to the audience before the showing, they both had an absolute blast making the movie, and the energy is apparent through the screen when they fall through all the mess. Their chemistry is intentionally awkward, which at times is clear that it didn’t click fully but it was enough to fit the premise and not detract from the film, it just pulls back the loving ending slightly.
The movie manages with the help of the two actors, to deliver twists that land consistently over and over keeping the film unbelievably entertaining. The film is packed with an extreme amount of these twists and shock factor, with new characters appearing, new backstories explained, and an insane way to hurt each other and escape or prevent them from escaping. Many of these moments are risks a lot of new thrillers refuse to take, they are all mostly unique and successful to the entertainment of the film, and constantly got the audience roaring with laughter and look- away moments. The scene with Dan’s dad especially, is just an absolutely absurd switch up from what is occurring in the story and a side track that could have killed the momentum but instead it does the opposite, its moments like this that define the final act, and become a perfect highlight for how the clumsy Segel and badass Weaving fit together in the film. Those last 15 minutes are one of the most bonkers collections of set pieces I have ever seen and the film thrives on this, absurd but entertaining moments that are unforgettable and together compose a film that is undeniable.
The real kicker of this review and perhaps my more biased review than normal is what I have mentioned throughout my words, the theater experience. With over 1200 people stacking the Paramount theater a couple days into the SXSW, people audibly reacting together, it can get chaotic and can distract from the film, but this is one of those cases where all of it was so fun and exciting that it contributed to the importance of the screening. The crowd energy made it hard not to absolutely love the film, and after jokes in the film about going straight to streaming and not getting the exclusive theater release it deserves, the theater experience became more crucial. My point here is that my review and experience for Over Your Dead Body was a clear contributor to how I will love and remember the film, and if you can see this release in April you all should get to the theater as well or see this with as many people as possible—without popcorn nearby.
Overall, the film is not technically the strongest with its camera work, there are certain moments that are actually quite well done, especially with the cabin landscape shots, making the film more impressive than anticipated. The dialogue is surprisingly witty and Joram Taccone’s film is wildly entertaining with a ton of twists and turns audiences are sure to love. The film balances comedy and gore extremely well due to its complimentary main actors’ prowess, the film is a smash hit and hopefully will be upon release, and combined with its amazing premiere experiences earns its an 85/100 from the Twilight Room.
Twilight Room Score: 85.8/100
