The Reel Review
Tired of being trapped in a miserable marriage, Dan plans to kill his wife Lisa during a weekend cabin getaway, only to discover that she is trying to kill him. The home invasion by three fugitives and other unexpected twists force the couple to do some quick relationship analysis and work together to survive. Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant and Juliette Lewis star in this action comedy/thriller, a remake of the 2021 Norwegian film The Trip.
Cleverly written and featuring a fun, all-in, ensemble cast, Over Your Dead Body is an entertaining thrill ride of intricate action sequences, shockingly gruesome gore and really funny dark humor. Lewis, in particular, is a standout, as Allegra, the prison guard-turned fugitive on the run with two of her escaped inmates. Weaving (Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Carolina Caroline) showcases her now honed action skills and Segel (Shrinking, Our Friend, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) still has spot-on comic timing.
Former Saturday Night Live writer-turned-movie director Jorma Taccone gleefully keeps the action moving and the jokes flying, despite a weird, unexpected sexual assault scene that lingers a bit too long and a lack of development of his lead characters, which makes it hard for us to root for them to survive. But still, it is a fun mindless time as long as you don’t think too much about the story and enjoy it for the gore and comedy.
REEL FACTS
• Jorma Taccone was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2025. He wrote, co-directed and appeared in 2016’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. His other acting credits include 2022’s The People We Hate at the Wedding, 2022’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story where he portrayed Pee-Wee Herman, and 2020’s An American Pickle.
• Aksel Hennie (Sisu) and Noomi Rapace starred in the original Norwegian film, 2021’s The Trip.
• Although set in upstate New York, Over Your Dead Body was filmed in and around Tampere, Finland.
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