Something about the zombie genre makes it uniquely capable of taking place in any tone, setting, and context. Throw the undead into a story, and it suddenly stands alongside every good and bad example of the genre. Through the connecting element of zombies, two absurdly different works of fiction like Dambuster Studio's Dead Island 2 and Jim Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die can find common ground.
When someone says a film is similar to a video game, they're usually damming with faint praise. Video games are still naturally assumed to be weaker in story and writing than any other medium, even when it manages to surprise critics. Sometimes the connection isn't praise or derision, it's merely an examination of two similar takes on similar material.
What is The Dead Don't Die about?
Jim Jarmusch is well-known as a filmmaker of unique and specific tastes. His films move at a snail's pace, his sense of humor is frequently alien to most, and his minimalist design sensibilities are striking. He bristles at the auteur accusations, but he demands final cut on each of his independent pictures. It's hard to pick the best-known project for the man, but his 1999 classic Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai captured the attention of many. His 2013 project Only Lovers Left Alive put a new spin on the tired vampire concept by portraying his immortal bloodsuckers as exhausted. His 2016 film Paterson received universal acclaim before and after its wide release on Amazon Prime Video. His most recent film is 2019's The Dead Don't Die, which sees him take a swing at another classic monster.
The Dead Don't Die pits an all-star cast, many of whom are regular collaborators with Jarmusch, against a small army of the undead in a small rural town. Police Chief Cliff (Bill Murray) and his partner Ronnie (Adam Driver) travel the length of the town of Centerville trying to survive and save their fellow locals. Tilda Swinton plays a mad Scottish woman with a samurai sword, bringing some action movie swagger to a film that really doesn't warrant it. The film is packed with bizarre moments, it may as well be a sketch comedy routine featuring zombies. Iggy Pop, RZA, and Tom Waits appear as zombies. Sturgill Simpson plays a zombie who plays guitar while other characters listen to the real-world music of the artist. Everyone from Steve Buscemi to Selena Gomez pops up in this film, it's a constant surprise. From the bizarre explanation of the undead menace to the non-stop sprays of ridiculous Hammer Horror fake blood, it's a sight to see.
How does it relate to Dead Island 2?
A schlocky big-budget action game and a bizarre little indie film from a renowned journeyman director should have literally nothing in common. Watching a Jarmusch movie should feel like the polar opposite experience of slapping zombies with various kinds of sticks for 20 hours. The interesting thing is that they feel like equal and opposite projects in many ways. Dead Island 2's big bold take on Los Angeles completely reverses Dead Don't Die's well-realized small town. The sense of humor, visual style, and commitment to the bit mirrors the different settings. Since Centerville is tiny and old-fashioned, the film is quiet and off-kilter. Since L.A. is a neon-lit metropolis, Dead Island 2 constantly swings for the fences with never-ending shouting and gore.
Dead Island 2 won't give anyone the experience of playing The Dead Don't Die. Very few people would watch the film and come away looking for the interactive version of it. The connections are purely coincidental. The interesting aspect of the two as a pairing is the way the zombie genre twists to fit each work. Snarky comedy is a go-to tone for zombie projects. The Walking Dead and World War Z may take the undead seriously but works like those are massively outnumbered by stuff like Zombieland. Looking into a mass of enemies that used to be people seems to immediately push the characters and the audience toward nihilism and edgy jokes. It's easy to make it scary, but a ton of creators have an easy time making it funny. Dead Island 2 and The Dead Don't Die take opposite approaches to the concept, but they land oddly nearby.
The Dead Don't Die is a willfully weird experience while Dead Island 2 feels like a fairly default video game experience. Is Jarmusch pushing the envelope? Is Dead Island 2 moving towards the cinema? It's hard to say. Both works take glee in the violence of the zombie genre while poking fun at their main setting. The two stories may not have much in common, but zombies manage to bring some of the most different creators in the world together. Take in Dead Island 2 and The Dead Don't Die to see how similar and how different two zombie projects can be.