Over Your Dead Body had the potential to rank high on a “best of 2026” list, but squanders early goodwill to become a clunky shockfest.
Over Your Dead Body begins as an uproariously focused dark comedy about a married couple plotting each other’s demise on a secluded bonding trip to the woods, but soon descends into a disappointing, schlocky, unbelievable flick that abandons logic in the second half. Many quirky films, rather than crafting odd characters and weaving them together to tell a story, just toss in strange people onscreen to compete for supremacy. Rather than flowing, it becomes disjointed, and that’s where this lands.
Jorma Taccone (Knuckles, The Hug Machine) directs with a script penned by Tommy Wirkola (Thrash, Spermageddon), Nick Ball (The Trip, Cat Run), and John Niven (The Trip, Supervized). It stars scream queen, Samara Weaving (Ready or Not, Chevalier) and Jason Segel (Windfall, The Sky Is Everywhere) as the murderous married couple, Lisa and Dan. The beginning of the movie is wonderful, filled with plenty of laughs and furrowed brows. But that is how the movie starts. It has all the promise but ultimately fails to deliver.
Over Your Dead Body Has a Strained, Humorous Start
Even if the title didn’t give some of the game away, the hilariously awkward start of Dan’s murder plot clues audiences that they are in for a fun time. The opening and ending scenes sandwich Dan’s arc in the film, with the beginning setting up his character and what’s coming. As soon as Dan, a director, strikes up a conversation with someone on set, a few things become clear. One, they do not converse like that, based on her wide-eyed “why are you telling me this” look. Second, he’s telling her this to set up a plausible story for his wife’s soon-to-be demise. Over Your Dead Body starts fun and obvious, building excitement for what’s next.
The Leads Deliver On Humor But the Movie Derails
Much of Over Your Dead Body leans into dark humor, even laughing or drawing laughs at dark moments. One of the most oddly timed, yet comical, competitions between the married couple is when Dan, bound and facing death, critiques Lisa’s acting. As they veer into who had the better murder plot, they showcase their “believable” brokenhearted performances. Samara Weaving and Jason Segel are sidesplittingly funny in their race to produce a tear.
Now, when the escape convicts and prison guard, played by Timothy Olyphant (Alien: Earth, Stick) as Pete, Keith Jardine (Killing Faith, Kill Me Again) as Todd, and Juliette Lewis (Opus, By Design) as Allegra, respectively, make their presence known, the film starts to veer into a new, surprising but dull course. It’s not a reflection on their performances. It’s more of an issue with them having no purpose beyond delivering shocking moments.
Too Much Wrong With The Latter Part of the Film
What kind of folks would use names of characters from stories by an author whose rhetoric harms trans women? The same ones who would try to make attempted rape a comical moment. It’s at this moment that Over Your Dead Body bypasses entertainment. Rather than remaining in its dark comedy realm of possibility, it becomes a no-holds-barred parade of shocks.
Sadly, it’s a trend becoming all too familiar. So many champion these films as superb. This likely will not be the last film to mistake shocking moments for any value. Shocking scenes and gross moments that lack moderation and substance are just shocking scenes and gross moments. It’s like reels back-to-back of brutal fights.
Over Your Dead Body had the potential to rank high on a “best of 2026” list, but squanders early goodwill to become a clunky shockfest. It would be best to retire films that think shocking, never-before-seen moments equal stellar filmmaking. Let’s also retire giving the author who shall not be named more film and series shout-outs. The story of a magical kid attending a magical school existed prior to her. Even better series have come after her. Over Your Dead Body has a promising start, but lets go of the reins midway to become something that thinks it’s unique, but lacks substance. An endless refrain of “oh my god” from viewers does not a movie make.
