‘Didn’t Die’ Review: Pandemic Zom-Com Has All the Right Ideas but Lacks Horror Execution

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It’s fascinating that modern zombie movies haven’t been symbolic representations of the COVID-19 pandemic more often. In a similar vein, Meera Menon’s “Didn’t Die” presents a compelling concept – one of several impressive intuitions – although the final product feels somewhat disjointed. The film chronicles the journey of sardonic Indian American podcast host Vinita Malhotra (Kiran Deol) as she navigates romantic and family reunions during her show’s 100th episode celebration. Menon endeavors to balance this straightforward narrative with profound explorations of unresolved trauma two years into an apocalypse, but the film doesn’t always manage to pull it off effectively.

Menon’s black-and-white zombie blend of comedy and drama is primarily a character study, thriving when viewers can momentarily disregard its horror genre aspects. This accidental or deliberate approach mirrors how many people cope with worldwide catastrophes: they tend to push such tragedies aside. However, this contrast becomes problematic in scenes where the individual narratives intersect, leading to discordant visual effects.

Using a relaxed and clear style:

Menon, along with her husband-partner Paul Gleason, captures Vinita’s solitary journey across a barren American terrain during her podcast tour, accompanied by her timid brother Rishi (Vishal Vijayakumar). Rishi harbors deep secrets from his past and becomes increasingly distressed as the film’s night-dwelling creatures, referred to as “biters,” start emerging during daytime hours – a chilling second wave. However, Vinita seems oblivious or unable to comprehend her brother’s struggles. She is an introspective character, making her efforts to engage with listeners via the airwaves and in person all the more challenging.

The siblings arrive at the residence of their eldest brother, Hari (Samrat Chakrabarti), and his wife Barbara (Karie McCuen). During the past two years of this worldwide crisis, they’ve been confined indoors. Hari appears contemplative in private, yet affable with family, whereas Barbara – a possible reference to “Night of the Living Dead” – finds herself balancing between maintaining vigilance and decorating her weapons as a pastime. Chakrabarti and McCuen deliver the film’s most potent dramatic elements; while they initially come off as understated, they gradually reveal intricate dramatic depth for their characters within the limited screen time.

In the Malhotra family’s home, flashbacks (depicted as 8mm home movies) offer a peaceful retreat for the couple, allowing both the storyline and the audience to take a breather from the somewhat vague and haphazardly presented zombie attacks. Yet amidst these action scenes that seem to lack punch, Director Menon manages to inject intriguing doses of character-driven humor. For instance, Vinita encounters her former flame Vincent, who claims to have changed his ways, and accompanies him carrying a baby girl he saved from a dangerous “biter” attack. This encounter puts Vincent’s ability to commit into question.

In this film, the interactions among the vividly portrayed characters are often delightful to observe. It’s particularly enjoyable to witness a group of South Asian American characters living their lives without feeling compelled to explain or defend their identities, a common requirement in larger productions or independent projects where inter-generational conflicts are often central themes. The film also presents harmonious interracial relationships, possibly due to the experiences of its two writer-protagonists, without resorting to uncomfortable confrontations. Unlike many culture-clash comedies, this movie showcases characters who understand each other’s lives and backgrounds deeply, leading to conflicts that go beyond simple misunderstandings. Even the Malhotra family appears to be a blend of South and North Indian heritage. Remarkably, by avoiding typical tropes, the film offers more room for the characters’ relationships to develop, as Vinita and Vincent deal with their past, and Hari and Barbara grapple with an uncertain future.

The movie is filled with intriguing concepts, but it struggles to fully develop them due to its zombies often failing to present a genuine threat or symbolic meaning, instead appearing as tiresome distractions. In some ways, this mirrors the pandemic scenario, as the undead disrupt all plans unpredictably. Yet, they lack the necessary fear factor, humor, or irony, with the exception that “Didn’t Die” frequently loses direction when zombies appear, often disregarding geographical boundaries and proximity rules.

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The movie brims with creative ideas, but it struggles to fully realize them because its zombies rarely serve as a pressing danger or meaningful symbol, instead feeling like tedious interruptions. This mirrors the pandemic in a way, since the undead can suddenly derail any plans. However, they fail to be frightening, amusing, or ironic; their arrival almost always causes “Didn’t Die” to lose control (usually with regards to location and distance, which become irrelevant).

In this movie, the role of zombies serves a dual purpose that can be quite abstract. They symbolize illness and isolation in a very basic and roundabout way, whether they’re subtly woven into the story or become the main focus. This symbolism accelerates character development and reduces the sense of imminent danger, ultimately leading to an overly prolonged climax. The fact that this film is about zombies at all can be seen as a hindrance; the elements related to its genre primarily serve to connect different aspects of the story, but there’s not enough consistency to make it convincing. As a personal drama, “Didn’t Die” comes close to success. However, ironically, it fails to achieve complete unity and the intended impact because it keeps revolving around the concept of death instead of life.

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2025-01-29 09:16