A Zombie Film from a man not known for doing Horror? Jim Jarmusch is certainly an unexpected voice in this Genre, so let's see what he can do...
A pair of Cops in a small Town deal with little threats. Something strange is happening in their self-contained world though...
The First Act is all about setting up every part of the Town- from the Diner to the Gas Station to the Juvenile Detention Center- so that you know everyone.
All seem to make sense, save for Tilda Swinton as the Samurai-loving Coroner from Scotland.
It's like she came from a different Film, which is likely the point.
Things get bad as the News reports some problems with the Earth that may cause serious repercussions. For instance, the night-to-day cycle is off.
Oh yeah, also Zombies. They rise from you grave at night and start attacking people in the Town.
Can our Heroes stand up to the threat? Does Driver's Character know more than he lets on? Can anyone survive?
To find out, watch the Film.
It's certainly unique. Whether you think that the Film is revolutionary, stupid or mediocre, you can't deny that it is unique. We have more Zombie Films than we do World Leaders, so it is hard to stand out. Do you involve aliens or mutants or something silly like that? In this case, you just act like it is simultaneously a big deal and also mundane. The Film is all about creating a realistic small Town...that will eventually be overrun with Zombies. It is less about setting up each Zombie attack and more about letting you know each person involved in said attack. Without SPOILing too much, they even skip over some notable moments that you'd expect to see. There's also a weird undercurrent of something with Driver's character that I also won't SPOIL. If you're worried that this is all just a quirky Comedy, it's not. There are lots of Zombies and they don't hold back on them, especially in the 3rd Act. It's always a delicate balance going from Horror-Comedy and not just slipping into Horror. In this case, they manage to do it quite well. The Film won't win you over to Jim Jarmusch most likely, but it is a more interesting thing than a curiosity piece. It's a good-to-great Zombie Film within a sedate, but subversive Comedy. If nothing else, they do thank George A. Romero...as well as someone twice- just because.
Ironically, this understated and sardonic Film is a bold one too. It's not going to be for everyone, but I got on board with the quirkiness.
It's like she came from a different Film, which is likely the point.
To find out, watch the Film.
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