Over Your Dead Body Review
There’s certainly a fine line between what constitutes something in a film as comedy and what’s just dark. There’s been such movies, but never to the scale that director Jorma Taccone sets out to accomplish. He’s had experience in the comedy space, with films like Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and the 2007 classic Hot Rod. Taccone’s latest collaboration with Independent Film Company, Over Your Dead Body, seems to truly test the writer (who SNL fans will also know from The Lonely Island.) Although it’s messy as it is viciously savage, Over Your Dead Body breaks the mold as a unique action-comedy.
Over Your Dead Body follows a couple who are at each other’s throats, at least emotionally. Dan (Jason Segel) is a frail, lowly director who only had a single successful film, only to be relegated to commercials. Lisa (Samara Weaving) is an aspiring actress who hopes to be a big star, but her large ego divides the two. The couple go on vacation to “reconnect”, but they don’t know that they’re both trying to kill each other. However, their stay gets interrupted by a group of criminals, who trap the couple inside their cabin.
What ensues from this premise is a 90-minute wild and violent brawl where Taccone shows that no one’s really a “good” person. Segel’s performance highlights Dan’s almost man-childish behavior in this absurdly comedic way that works because of BriTANicK’s charged writing. On the other hand, Weaving gives Lisa a much needed bite and snark to counter Dan’s personality, but also has this optimistic desperation that makes you sympathetic for her. Weaving also really lets her Aussie self shine through Lisa, which is even used as one of Dan’s insults.
Both actors do a great job showing the many flaws of each character, which really show in a handful of scenes. Particularly, the one scene where Lisa confronts Dan about his murder plan leads to a surprisingly deep moment where the two try to out-act the other by tearing up. There’s a general montage also setting up callbacks for later physical scenes that shows Dan’s controlling meticulousness that works with the slightly fast pacing. The blend of comedic banter and heated intensity between Dan and Lisa only works the way that it does because of these two leads.
Over Your Dead Body’s comedy also works because of its three antagonists: Todd (Keith Jardine), Allegra (Juliette Lewis), and Pete (Timothy Olyphant). Todd’s the tough grunt of the trio, but he’s surprisingly well-learned for what’s essentially the throwaway of the group. He gets some fun scenes with Allegra, the heartthrobbing lover of Pete, when they’re forced to hide in the cabin’s attic as they play movie charades. That said, Allegra’s got some viciousness of her own when she tries to get Dan and Lisa under control. Of course, Allegra’s cruelty can only be subdued for so much when she’s not being plowed by Pete.
What Taccone tries to accomplish with Over Your Dead Body’s story is simply break down the complexities of complicated couples. It very much feels like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but on a much smaller, yet absurd, scale where anything can happen. Taccone’s environmentally-intensive direction and BriTANicK’s screenplay almost takes the narrative all over the place, yet tries to retain the core of differentiating what is real love and what’s toxic.
What makes Over Your Dead Body as hilarious as it is the bloody and focused stuntwork of each action scene. You’ll have these characters go through walls, get butted in the head with a rifle, bite each other, and so much more. One scene that stands out is Lisa trying to put down Todd with so many knives to the point where she just chucks the knife block into him. All of this adds on to the absurdist insanity that Taccone and his friends want to display, which for a film like this, works well.
Over Your Dead Body is unabashedly hilarious and physically brutal thanks to Jorma Taccone’s ludicrously intense direction and Weaving and Segel’s ferocious dual performances. Taccone and BriTANicK walk that fine line successfully. It’s a fun and unique blend of genres that doesn’t necessarily appeal to a specific audience, but can make for a good couples watch.
Rating: ★★★⯪☆
Over Your Dead Body releases in theaters on April 24.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.