In the sleepy town of Centerville, something is not quite right and strange things begin to occur. The dead are rising from their graves to feast on the living, and the citizens must battle to survive. A film by Jim Jarmusch, starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Austin Butler, and Tom Waits.

Every once in a while, there’s a film that divides audiences: you either love it or hate it. THE DEAD DON’T DIE, from the director/writer of Only Lovers Left Alive, falls into that category. Expecting something hilarious based on the director’s previous work, I wasn’t disappointed.

Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray) and Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver) are police officers in a small rural town called Centerville. Responding to a complaint from Frank Miller (Steve Buscemi) about a missing chicken, they pay Hermit Bob (Tom Waits) a visit.

On their way back to the police station, Cliff notices that it’s still daylight at 8.20pm. Then Ronnie realizes that his watch stopped working and his fully-charged phone is also completely dead. When Ronnie turns the radio on, they hear Sturgill Simpson’s The Dead Don’t Die. Cliff can’t shake the feeling he’s heard it before, perhaps it has something to do with the song’s unsettling title? Ronnie responds it’s because it’s the theme song.

Oh, the dead don’t die any more than you or I. They’re just ghosts inside a dream of a life that we don’t own. They walk around sometimes. Never payin’ any mind to the silly lives we lead or the reaping we’ve all sown.

At the local diner, Hank Thompson (Danny Glover) and Fern (Eszter Balint) listen to a news report crackling through the speakers. It speaks of a disturbing shift in the Earth’s axis, a possible consequence of the extensive polar fracking operations. The news isn’t the only unsettling development. Reports of missing pets and unusual animal behavior cast an unsettling shadow over their seemingly ordinary day.

Centerville’s newest resident, Zelda Winston (Tilda Swinton), has recently taken over The Ever After funeral home. Her presence is as intriguing as her decor. Behind the unassuming facade, her back room holds an unexpected treasure trove: a golden Buddha and a collection of ancient samurai swords.

A horrifying scene unfolds at the diner later that night. Two figures, apparently risen from the dead, kill Fern and Lily (Rosal Colon). The next morning, Cliff receives a panicked phone call from Hank, urging him to investigate the diner murders. Ronnie and Mindy (Chloë Sevigny) soon join him at the crime scene. Offering theories fueled by confusion and horror, they grapple with what happened. Could wild animals be responsible? Ronnie, however, reaches a firm conclusion: it must be a zombie attack. (I love this scene so much.)

Written and directed by American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, THE DEAD DON’T DIE is a hilarious spin on the zombie genre, boasting an all-star cast that lives up to its tagline: “The greatest zombie cast ever disassembled.”

This is definitely gonna end badly.

Bill Murray and Adam Driver lead the charge as a hilariously mismatched police duo, fumbling through a sleepy town overrun by the undead. But the laughs don’t stop there. Tilda Swinton brings her enigmatic charm as the mysterious mortician. Steve Buscemi channels his signature grumpiness as the frustrated farmer missing his chicken.

Bill Murray, the undisputed king of deadpan delivery, throws verbal barbs with effortless cool, while Adam Driver perfectly complements him as the ever-so-slightly exasperated partner. Their on-screen chemistry is pure gold. Although, it’s worth noting that this offbeat gem isn’t your typical zombie flick. It’s a quirky blend of humor and horror that caters to a specific taste, and might not be for everyone.

THE DEAD DON’T DIE premiered at Festival de Cannes on 14 May 2019. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 14 June.