Over Your Dead Body
Over Your Dead Body
Starring Jason Segel, Samara Weaving, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis
Directed by Jorma Taccone
Dan Burton (Jason Segel) is a former movie director-turned commercial director and doesn't have a lot of money because he foolishly spends it, while his wife Lisa (Samara Weaving) is a community actor who has aspirations to become an actress but is constantly belittled by Dan. They decide to take a trip to Dan's father's house in the woods, but both have ulterior motives - they plan to kill the other and make it look like an accident, but neither one knows the other is planning it. Things only get more complicated when prison escapees Pete (Timothy Olyphant) and Todd (Keith Jardine) - along with prison warden Allegra (Juliette Lewis), who fell for Pete in prison - arrive and threaten Dan and Lisa, leading them to join forces to survive.
An American remake of a 2021 Norwegian film called "The Trip," "Over Your Dead Body" is a great blend of horror, action, and comedy that's delivered by one of the greats of comedy and one of the greats in action/horror, The first part of the film is the story's strongest, with Dan and Lisa plotting each others' demise while secretly hiding it from their partners in pretty obvious ways (such as Dan repeatedly announcing loudly to anyone listening before they leave that they're going on a trip and Lisa is going to go hiking alone, and Lisa telling her best friend that Dan wants to go hunting for the first time and how much she hates guns). It's hilarious to think that either one of them could think they'd get away with it, with how prevalent true crime shows and podcasts are and having thousands of people possibly scrutinizing their stories.
This is where Jason Segel and Samara Weaving truly shine, and also exposes a problem that the movie itself creates. Obviously there's no love lost between Dan and Lisa, but it also doesn't give them any chemistry to work with, as both seem like strangers to one another, which only advances to the second half when they have to work together to survive. It seems that they're almost working against each other not just in the film, but as actors as well. Segel is best known for his comedic work in "How I Met Your Mother" and "Shrinking" while Weaving has proven her action and horror prowess in the "Ready or Not" franchise as well as "The Babysitter." While it makes sense to have them both together in this comedy/action/horror blend, they seem to play to their strengths to the others' detriment.
There's still a lot of comedy to be had, and I was laughing my way from start to finish, which is a rarity considering how much I don't care for comedies, so they both manage to pull that off quite well. The scene of them at the table is a highlight, as they finally come clean as to their plans, how they planned it, and, most importantly, why. Then one of the many twists occur (the inclusion of the criminals isn't really a "twist" as it's prevalent in the trailers) which makes things more exciting and fun, but then the second half begins.
This second half focuses more on the criminals and their story as to how they got to the house. While Keith Jardine pulls off a great performance as the powerful but likable Todd and Juliette Lewis plays the generic "cop who falls for a criminal" role, Timothy Olyphant steals the show as Pete, the cold-blooded killer. He performs well as both a hero and villain, and here he fully relishes the villainous role in more than just dialogue, but mannerisms as well. When they finally come into contact with Dan and Lisa, it provides a far-too-long segment that involves a certain act that is thrown in for comedy, but doesn't really play well.
Then it becomes a cat-and-mouse game with Dan and Lisa combining forces to stop the criminals, but there's still more twists thrown in to keep it from being too monotonous, but it still drags on far too long. Either the film could've been cut by ten minutes in this segment, or given more time for Dan and Lisa's own cat-and-mouse game, but as it is it continues far too long.
What lifts this part up - besides the hidden twists - is the surprising body horror that director Jorma Taccone throws in unexpectedly. There was a few moments where I was gasping in surprise with how violent the movie turned, which shows the film's strength in leaving viewers vulnerable with the comedy before hitting with the gore - or I just like gore. Either way, it's still done for comedic value and never comes across as too horrifying.
If the movie had focused more on the Dan and Lisa fight, "Over Your Dead Body" would've been a lot better, but thanks to performers who perform to their strengths - even if it causes some detriment - it's still a funny, violent comedy-horror-action adventure.
The Score: B+
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