by Nick Ferro, Editor
Marriage can be difficult. They take real work and communication. And most marriages inevitably will hit some kind of a wall in which one or both partners are faced with a dilemma that can put the whole relationship in jeopardy. How a couple addresses these dilemmas, typically, will determine whether the relationship can survive the rocky seas ahead. Sometimes people succeed, they are open with each other, they put aside their selfishness, and they come together as a team. Sometimes, they bring their partner to a family lake house, make them a delicious steak dinner with peppercorns flown in from Ohio, then fill a bag with rocks (heavy rocks), and promise a friend $50,000 of the life insurance premium to help commit murder…
At least that’s what Dan (Jason Segal) plans on doing, to finally be free of his wife Lisa (Samara Weaving) in the new Comedy/Thriller Over Your Dead Body. I know what you’re thinking, Nick, why would a movie about a husband trying to kill his wife be a comedy? Well, that’s because as it turns out, Lisa is planning on killing Dan during this weekend getaway too. Quite the hook, if I do say so myself. They are both deeply unhappy in their marriage for their own selfish yet understandable reasons. Both are struggling in their respective careers as a director and actress. Lisa is mean to Dan, she makes him feel small, a task which his depression does to himself without the need of assistance. She is inconsiderate and never puts him first which can take a toll on someone. But Dan isn’t a saint, as I said he is severely depressed and he uses that as a crutch, he is terrible with money and has financially bankrupted them. He is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions and as a result has put too much strain on Lisa’s ability to cope. She wanted a husband and partner, not a child to raise. Murder seems extreme, but with a very large life insurance policy, the surviving spouse would definitely be free from the emotional and financial torment that plagues their lives.
A movie about a dysfunctional marriage and attempted murder is only as good as its leads and Segal and Weaving are perfect for the task. Segal has played many “sad sack” characters in the past from Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Shrinking. But here, he takes the role to a whole new level. Dan is in such a depressive and dark place that Segal manages to transform his face in such a way that he is almost unrecognizable. Most of the acting is behind his eyes. They start the film dark and dead, like a sharks’ eyes, and you never once question his capability to carry out the act. Weaving on the other hand has an interesting role to achieve. Women are often more stoic in their pain and capable of hiding their unhappiness through their learned ability to survive in a society hellbent on dismissing their physical and emotional pain as being easily solved with a walk and a bottle of water. Weaving also has a lot going on behind her eyes, but if you didn’t know Lisa was planning on killing Dan, it would have come as a fun surprise because of how cool and controlled she played it. On the flip side of that, Lisa is not a very good actor. A point that Dan makes at one point in the film and is amusingly true, made evident by her attempting to feign upset at his future demise. What I love about Weaving’s performance as she has to “act bad” while acting and the way she goes from being a believable character in a movie to someone who is unbelievable in their attempt at fooling the hypothetical police is, to me, a masterclass in acting (and also really funny to watch).
One element I particularly enjoyed was the inclusion of Timothy Olyphant, Juliet Lewis, and Keith Jardine. They are a trio, who’s purpose I won’t reveal here due to my absolute delight upon the manner in which they fall into the action. As much as I want to just gush over Olyphant’s comedic timing and unhinged performance, from his fanboying out over Dan’s movie or his restrained irritation at Lewis’ declaration of love, the standout, for me, was Jardine. He plays a man named Todd, who is big and burly and jacked and quite dumb. He has a face that can be incredibly scary and incredibly sweet and Lewis’ character’s mothering of him is adorably amusing. His interplay with all four of the other cast member is both funny and scary depending on the situation. From his obsession with Harry Potter to a moment where he (understandably) can’t remember his own name, he never failed to put a huge smile on my face. I can only hope that we start to see him in more mainstream projects because he absolutely has the talent.
Directed by Jorma Taccone of Lonely Island fame, this movie has exactly the kind of sense of humor you would expect from the writer of The LEGO Movie. A fun mix of deadpan wit, delivered by, in my opinion, one of Hollywood’s funniest actors, and amusing situational comedy, this movie really plays money ball with its humor. I was laughing consistently throughout the film accompanied by the occasional belly laugh. Opposed to more recent comedies like Anaconda, which delivered on more big laughs that were fewer and farther between with not much to chuckle at while you waited. Over Your Dead Body lets the situation build from mildly amusing to laugh-out-loud shenanigans then giving you a break to recompose yourself before starting the cycle again.
While the comedy and the cast is what drew me into this film, I have no doubt that the blood and gore is what will appeal to others. Over Your Dead Body does not shy away from being pretty brutal in that regard (from my weenie sensibilities). From noses and ears being bitten, to knife wounds, to gunshot wounds, to the creative use of a lawn mower, this movie has no shortage of gruesome practical and digital effects. And with a reported budget of $14 million, they used their money well to make everything look quite good. However, I will post this trigger warning to the WikiFeet crowd, you will be traumatized at a point in the third act.
Overall, Over Your Dead Body was a movie I had planned on skipping to watch later on streaming, until I heard that Jason Segal was the lead. After the disappointment that was Ready or Not: Here I Come, Samara Weaving wasn’t enough of a draw (despite my love for her). But I owe Miss Weaving an apology because she, as always, crushed it and I am so glad that I didn’t wait. I had a really fun time at the theaters, which I have to say has been a growing trend for me this year! 2026 may be the darkest timeline for the rest of the world but from a movie standpoint it may go down as one of my all-time favorite years for film!
Rating: High Side of Liked It
Over Your Dead Body is currently playing in theaters.
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