The Dead Don't Hurt

Play trailer

2:28

The Dead Don't Hurt

R

2024

2h 9m

Western

Drama

Romance

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

120 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

50+ Verified Ratings

The Dead Don't Hurt is a story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, Nevada, where they start a life together. The outbreak of the civil war separates them when Olsen makes a fateful decision to fight for the Union. This leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his unscrupulous business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt). Alfred's violent, wayward son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become. Both a tragic love story and a nuanced depiction of the conflict between revenge and forgiveness, The Dead Don't Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A solid step forward for Viggo Mortensen as a director, The Dead Don't Hurt offers viewers a comfortably old-fashioned Western with a satisfying, character-driven story.

Read Critics Reviews

Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

12/05/2024

3/5

Mortensen’s second feature as writer-director offers a distinctive proposition about what a 21st-century Western could be. At best, he succeeds in tapping into the gentler, more lyrical side of the genre in the spirit of classic Hollywood directors.

Go to Full Review

Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

07/26/2024

In its unconventional narrative structure and its tender perspective on a brutal era, Mortensen’s film acts as a mirror of his own public persona: tightly drawn, deeply felt, refreshingly unconventional.

Go to Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

07/13/2024

3.5/5

Mortensen’s script tussles between feminist revision and old-school male showdowns, imagining Vivienne as a Joan of Arc-inspired frontierswoman yet subject to the degradations of the era.

Go to Full Review

Don Kaye

Moviefone

Jul 6

6.5/10

Kudos to Mortensen for making a film in which the ostensible male lead must ultimately adapt his life around the woman’s choices.

Go to Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

02/05/2025

It’s a pretty movie starring two endlessly magnetic actors but it also feels like a self-conscious attempt to make a feminist Western by clumsily inserting characters with present-day values.

Go to Full Review

Paula Vázquez Prieto

La Nación (Argentina)

02/05/2025

5/5

The Dead Don't Hurt affirms the effectiveness of the [western] genre in the present, its impact on modern concepts such as justice or personal ethics, to once again sow that land of life and truth. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

James W

06/23/2024

Wonderful. Great performances and beautiful throughout. Mortenson is a very good film-maker.

See more

Kevin

06/15/2024

too long/slow and constant flashbacks.

See more

Tonya L

06/12/2024

At first I wasn't sure, but then it got better & better & the ending is perfect!!!!

See more

derrick

06/08/2024

While it is a small and independent film it certainly lacked good things that usually come from a small and independent film such as good writing, solid storyline, and with the ability to deliver entertainment and excitement with little to no budget much better than studio titans like WB and Universal. Mortensen misses the mark here. It is a circle story which can get confusing before you figure that part out. A lot of plot holes, the movie is slow all through out, and right when you think it gets exciting, it doesnt. Im looking forward to Costners movies tbh. I thought this would be a great appetizer to Costners movies but I was wrong. This is a sleeper.

See more

Robert C

06/07/2024

Good western and film production. Nice cinematography and acting with Virgo. A little slow at some points, but develops characters and settings. I like westerns from the 1800s and this movie was good overall. I would watch it again.

See more

Thomas S

06/06/2024

Terrible movie. I nearly walked out! Kept waiting for something to happen. The best part of the film was with the bad guy with the best dialogue and action! The writer should never be the director AND actor in a movie! This was a slow moving, soap opera with too much introspection by the main characters! A waste of time for some very good, talented , well known actors.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Viggo Mortensen

Director

Vicky Krieps

Vivienne Le Coudy

Viggo Mortensen

Holger Olsen

Solly McLeod

Weston Jeffries

Garret Dillahunt

Alfred Jeffries

Colin Morgan

Lewis Cartwright

The Dead Don't Hurt: Exclusive Movie Clip - Thinking About Enlisting

1:42

View more videos

The Power of the Dog

94%

76%

The Power of the Dog

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Power of the Dog

If Beale Street Could Talk

95%

68%

If Beale Street Could Talk

Watchlist

TRAILER

for If Beale Street Could Talk

Preparation for the Next Life

97%

56%

Preparation for the Next Life

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Preparation for the Next Life

Touch

93%

92%

Touch

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Touch

May December

91%

65%

May December

Watchlist

TRAILER

for May December

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Dead Don't Hurt: Trailer 1

2:28

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

The Dead Don't Hurt is a story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, Nevada, where they start a life together. The outbreak of the civil war separates them when Olsen makes a fateful decision to fight for the Union. This leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his unscrupulous business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt). Alfred's violent, wayward son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become. Both a tragic love story and a nuanced depiction of the conflict between revenge and forgiveness, The Dead Don't Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.

Director: Viggo Mortensen
Producer: Regina Solórzano, Jeremy Thomas, Viggo Mortensen
Screenwriter: Viggo Mortensen
Distributor: SHOUT! STUDIOS
Production Co: Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Talipot Studio, Perceval Pictures
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language|Violence)
Genre: Western, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 31, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 16, 2024
Runtime: 2h 9m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings