Official Trailer
Rating: 6.3/10 | Genre: Comedy, Action, Thriller | Runtime: 105 min
Starring: Jason Segel, Samara Weaving, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Paul Guilfoyle
So I watched Over Your Dead Body last night, and honestly, it’s a movie that knows exactly what it is. It’s not trying to be some deep psychological thriller about relationships gone wrong. It’s a dark comedy about two people who want to murder each other, and it commits to that bit hard.
Jason Segel and Samara Weaving play the couple, and they’re both pretty great here. Segel does this thing where he’s simultaneously pathetic and dangerous, which is harder to pull off than it sounds. He’s got this dopey face that makes you want to root for him even when he’s literally planning his wife’s death. Weaving is sharp and fun. She’s got this cold calculation thing going on, but she still gets her funny moments in.
The setup is simple. They go to a cabin to fix their marriage. Their marriage is broken because they hate each other. What they don’t know is that each one is planning to kill the other. The movie takes this premise and just runs with it for 105 minutes. It’s basically a series of failed murder attempts that keep escalating in stupidity and creativity.
Timothy Olyphant shows up as a neighbor, and he’s doing his thing. You know the Timothy Olyphant thing I mean. He’s always good, and he’s good here too. Juliette Lewis is in it as a cop investigating weird stuff, and she brings some energy to what could have been a thankless role.
The pacing is where this movie lives or dies for most people. It moves fast. There’s barely any downtime. You get a joke, then someone tries to poison someone, then there’s a chase scene, then a twist. It works when you’re in the mood for it. If you’re looking for a slower burn or character development, you’re going to be frustrated. But if you want 105 minutes of two attractive people trying to kill each other in increasingly absurd ways, you’re in for a good time.
My only real complaint is that it kind of loses steam in the third act. The premise is strong enough to carry the whole movie, but toward the end it feels like they’re just checking boxes. There’s a revelation about why they actually hate each other, and it’s dumb in a way that doesn’t quite work. Not dumb enough to be funny. Just dumb.
The whole thing has this video game energy to it. Each scene is like a level. They fail, they regroup, they try something new. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just means you shouldn’t go in expecting real stakes or genuine danger. You should go in expecting to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
Overall, it’s fine. It’s a solid comedy thriller that does exactly what it sets out to do. It’s not going to change your life or make you think about anything, but it’s entertaining for the runtime. The chemistry between Segel and Weaving keeps it from getting boring, and the supporting cast adds flavor to what could have been a two-hander.
Would you watch this one, or does the premise sound too silly for you?
Where to Watch
Rent on: Amazon Video