Coming Soon to
Flix in the Wet
Coming Soon to
Flix in the Wet
Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt is a revisionist western that defies genre conventions, elevated by the powerful performances of Mortensen and Vicky Krieps. Set in the mid-19th century, the film follows Vivienne (Krieps), a fiercely independent French Canadian woman, and Holger (Mortensen), a Danish immigrant, who settle in the rugged town of Elk Flats, Nevada. Despite the harsh conditions, the couple finds beauty in building a life together. However, when Holger leaves to fight in the Civil War, Vivienne is left to navigate a town riddled with corruption, led by the crooked Mayor Schiller (Danny Huston) and his ruthless associates.
Mortensen, in his second directorial effort after 2020’s Falling, skillfully intertwines non-linear storytelling with a fresh perspective on frontier life. Inspired by his own mother, Mortensen crafts Vivienne as a strong-willed protagonist, refusing to conform to societal norms. Krieps delivers a mesmerizing performance, capturing Vivienne's resilience as she faces adversity, including the unwanted advances of the mayor's unscrupulous business partner and his unhinged son.