‘Over Your Dead Body’: Clever Domestic Thriller Held Hostage by Uneven Script [SXSW 2026 Review]

Over Your Dead Body, directed by comedy A-lister Jorma Taccone (MacGruber, The Lonely Island), is built on a clever premise: a dysfunctional couple retreats to a remote cabin to reconnect while secretly planning to kill each other. The setup promises a funny yet nasty domestic thriller, powered by strong leads and a stacked supporting cast of iconic actors. While the concept is neat and the performances are committed, uneven writing, a lopsided central dynamic, and a narrative that grows shakier as it goes hold the film back from working.

Samara Weaving and Jason Segel costar as the warring couple, with Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Paul Guilfoyle, and Keith Jardine rounding out the supporting cast. There’s clear promise on display, especially where their secondary characters are concerned. Unfortunately, the film seems to assume that these pieces will naturally stitch themselves together. But they never do.

Jason Segel’s character Dan is written as an intentionally unpleasant figure, condescending and smug. That approach works almost too well. He’s so thoroughly unlikable that the film never manages to extract much dramatic payoff from him. Even from the start, the audience is supposed to empathize with his frustrations toward Samara Weaving’s Lisa, who is portrayed as shallow, irritating, and unsuccessful in her acting career. Yet Dan’s disdain rarely lands as relatable comedic tension. Instead, it reads as mean-spirited, and it’s even occasionally tinged with unintentional misogyny.

The film’s early narrative pivot seems designed to reframe both characters and complicate our loyalties. In theory, the script wants to explore both sides of this toxic relationship. In practice, that balance never materializes. Segel plays Dan with such pompous certainty that it’s difficult to find any foothold of sympathy, while Weaving never suppresses her natural charisma enough to make it nearly possible to root against her, even when the script clearly wants you to. That imbalance leaves the central conflict feeling lopsided and awkward.