Adam Driver revealed that The Dead Don’t Die was inspired by real-life zombies. The new horror/comedy from Jim Jarmusch isn’t exactly a by-the-books zombie film, but it certainly has a lot to say about the world, projected through the lens of the undead.

In The Dead Don’t Die, zombies wreak havoc on the small town of Centerville. In an attempt to keep everyone safe - to the best of their abilities, at least - Chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray), Officer Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver), and Officer Mindy Morrison (Chloë Sevigny) band together with all the weapons and skills they have at their disposal. However, they’re not alone, as other locals do their best to batten down the hatches and prevent an impending zombie apocalypse from spreading. As it so happens, though, even thought the events of the film are obviously fictional - what with the flesh-eating zombies and other preternatural reveals - there is an element of grounded reality in the inspiration behind The Dead Don’t Die.

During a junket interview with Screen Rant, Driver opened up about how The Dead Don’t Die came to be, and how Jarmusch actually based the film on real-life zombies - so to speak. He explained that Jarmusch was frustrated with the general public’s behavior when it comes to the decline of socializing, one-on-one interaction, and even the simple act of paying attention to one’s surroundings. He said:

Even with its real-life inspiration, The Dead Don’t Die still goes all-in on its zombie promise. The gore is excessive at times, the zombie makeup is traditional and creepy, and the overall tone of the film, notwithstanding the comedic elements, stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best zombie films in the genre. In fact, there are even several nods to classic zombie films, like George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Still, the real-life inspiration isn’t hard to miss, especially when zombies are discovered to crave various physical appliances and pastimes that they enjoyed while they were alive.

“Even before this movie was in existence, I guess, Jim would always joke about people being phone zombies; just kind of marching along the streets in New York City, looking down and not looking up; kind of being isolated in their own world.”

The Dead Don’t Die takes on the challenge of not only blending horror and comedy, but doubling as a social commentary. And, yes, though other zombie films - let alone most horror films in general - tend to have a social or political slant in some way or another, The Dead Don’t Die isn’t subtle. The commentary is laid on thick, and that’s part of what makes the nod to real-life zombies as funny as it is slightly disheartening.

More: The Dead Don’t Die Review: Jarmusch’s Zombie Comedy is Only Half-Alive

  • The Dead Don’t Die Release Date: 2019-06-14