Over Your Dead Body

One has to give the horror genre its flowers, as it does consistently manage to entertain and surprise in a way other film genres struggle to match. This section of the industry never fails to dish out unique and memorable stories, either with established stars and directors at the helm or unknown players. Whatever the case, horror films tend to be more focussed with a clearer creative vision, all while managing to make do and succeed using budgets a fraction of the cost of blockbuster hits. Another firm example of this is Over Your Dead Body.

Coming from director Jorma Taccone, Over Your Dead Body is a story of a marriage on the rocks. We follow Jason Segel's defeated and weak-willed husband alongside Samara Weaving's cheating and failing wife, and the long and short of the plot is these two are so unhappy in their marriage, they both unknowingly plot out the perfect murder to kill their other half and to claim insurance on the situation. The whole proceeding unravels when the pair travel to the family's secluded cabin in the woods, and soon after we see these two revealing their true intentions to one another when both plots fail miserably.

Already, this is a rather interesting and fun narrative premise to explore, and for the first act and a half, we get to see this unravel, picking up on subtleties and unusual remarks where it becomes increasingly clear neither party is aware of the other's intentions. It makes for nervous and uncomfortable encounters, awkward turns of events where you cringe at how incompatible these two partners in matrimony truly are. It's fascinating and quite hilarious to follow, especially when all the cards are finally laid on the table, but it's at this point the true horror of Over Your Dead Body takes effect.

The partners are unwittingly sharing their cabin with a trio of violent and vicious criminals who are on the run. Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, and Keith Jardine play two escaped convicts and a prison guard who helped the pair flee, and this ultimately leads to a brutal encounter where the married duo are tortured and tormented under the grounds of being extorted out of money neither have available.

It goes from an almost playfully twisted rom-com to a thrilling and frightening The Strangers-like home invasion plot, one where the married couple are subject to their worst possible nightmares and pick up countless injuries and knocks as they attempt to flee by overpowering and eliminating the invaders. It's an effective combination of events, a roller coaster of thrills where you constantly are left wondering how the pair will survive what's to come. Granted, in a very on-brand horror situation, the third act does leave a bit to be desired, especially as Deus ex machina-like interventions help save the duo when at their lowest possible lows. It takes a bit of the sting out of the story when almost divine intervention gives them a second chance, even if it does come at the cost of a finger or an ear lobe or two. The incredibly telegraphed ending on the boat is one key example of this, as to this day I can't fathom how Segel's Pete managed to escape that particular grim ending.

So yes, there are horror pitfalls Over Your Dead Body ends up facing, but we are also talking about a movie that for the most part succeeds in what it sets out to achieve. Segel and Weaving are a fitting and formidable leading pair, the criminals (especially Olyphant) stand out as effective and frightening antagonists, and the overall premise and plot lends for a memorable story. If only it could have ended 10 minutes sooner and prevented that cheesy and ridiculous conclusion...