Movie Review: ‘Over Your Dead Body’ And Interview With Director Jorma Taccone

Review by James Lindorf

Interview:

Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola is best known for his work on the Dead Snow franchise. In 2021, he worked with the wonderful Noomi Rapace on “The Trip,” an action-horror-comedy. The film was so well received that an English-language adaptation was announced that same year. It is currently streaming on Netflix if you want to judge for yourself. Wirkola was originally attached to direct the new version as well, but he departed after the project got stuck in development limbo. In November 2024, he was off the film, and Jorma Taccone of The Lonely Island fame was at the helm. Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney were brought on to write the screenplay, and filming began in Tampere, Finland. In May 2025, the film was retitled “Over Your Dead Body,” with the Independent Film Company and Amazon Prime Video acquiring U.S. and international distribution rights, which begin in March with its premiere at SXSW and continue on April 24th, when the film opens around the country.

Dan (Jason Segel) and Lisa (Samara Weaving) are miserable professionally, personally, and in their relationship. The couple is planning a romantic weekend at a lakeside cabin to try to reconnect in a meaningful way. The only problem is that, along with food and clothes, each of them is bringing a secret plan to kill the other. As bad as they expected the weekend to go, they couldn’t have dreamed how off the rails it would end up when three strangers crash their toxic getaway. Escaped prisoners Pete (Timothy Olyphant) and Todd (Keith Jardine), along with Allegra (Juliette Lewis), a corrupted corrections officer, are looking for a place to lay low and a chance to make some money and disappear forever. Can you trust someone who planned to kill you to keep you safe? Dan and Lisa will have to find out because a temporary truce may be the only way either of them survives the weekend. The supporting cast includes Paul Guilfoyle as Dan’s father, Michael, and Andy Cohen as himself.

In a stroke of genius or insanity, Casting Director Melissa Kostenbauder chose actors with polar opposite backgrounds to lead this film. Weaving is best known for showing up in several films where someone is trying to kill her or avoid being killed by her. On the other side is Segel, who is usually playing the sweet boyfriend/husband or hanging out with Muppets. And, oddly enough, they both get to play against type: Segel because he is not a loving partner, and Weaving because she is playing a bad actress. While they may be stretching a little, it doesn’t distract from their chemistry. The bitterness feels real, as if it were earned through years of frustration, disappointment, and betrayal. Murder is a really dumb exit strategy, but you buy their desperation to get away.

The other group spending the weekend at the cabin feels a little different. Juliette Lewis has been great for as long as I can remember, and Olyphant is right up there, too, with only a couple of mistakes on his resume. Keith Jardine rounds out the trio with an impressive number of credits, many of which relied solely on his physicality as a former MMA fighter. “Over Your Dead Body” doesn’t discard that, but he also has a chance to be funny and quirky between thrown punches. The problem is that, unlike Dan and Lisa, they do feel thrown together, not like a group of people with a long-standing relationship.

Tonal shifts in movies can work out really well. Look at any part of the Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy, “From Dusk Til Dawn”, and recent Oscars heavyweight “Sinners” for examples. However, it will never work for everyone, and it can depend on how far the shift goes or how quickly it happens. “Over Your Dead Body” goes from a witty dark comedy to an over the top fast paced action thriller full of gore and bathroom jokes. Shifting types of comedy is the hardest change to make because it is so subjective. It will not work for everyone, but if you enjoy movies like “Ready or Not” or “Send Help,” you should be okay.

“Over Your Dead Body” is a fun but inconsistent time. Weaving and Segel together and separately are the best reasons to see the film. The second reason is the action itself, which is creative and well-choreographed, rarely delving into gratuitousness. If you need likable characters to root for in your thriller, or devilishly good villains to love to hate, you will want to wait for this one. I want to love this movie, but I can’t get beyond liking it. Maybe I will give this relationship another chance until then, “Over Your Dead Body” comes in at a 3.5 out of 5.

Rating: R (Sexual Content|Gore|Sexual Assault|Pervasive Language|Strong Bloody Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): April 24th, 2026
Runtime: 1h 45m
Director: Jorma Taccone
Producer: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Aram Tertzakian, Nick Spicer, Guy Danella, Lee Kim
Screenwriter: Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney
Distributor: Independent Film Company
Production Co: XYZ Films, Resolute Films, 87North