The Lonely Island has had a hold on me for years. Akiva Schaffer brought the house down with his remake of The Naked Gun in 2025, and his team-up with Jorma Taccone for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) was one of the most highly regarded modern comedies of that decade. Now, Taccone has taken the reins for himself in a remake of a Norwegian action thriller titled I onde dager (2021). World premiering at SXSW, Over Your Dead Body follows a couple (Jason Segel and Samara Weaving) who each secretly plan to kill each other during their trip to a cabin in the woods.
Taccone has easily made one of the most surprising action comedies of the year. He impeccably blocks the action sequences and allows for the leads to crack jokes in the moment without feeling forced. The pivot this film takes at the midway point (which I will not spoil) could have severely impeded its pacing and structure, but instead recontextualizes itself in a way that comes out of left field in the best way possible. Timothy Olyphant and Juliette Lewis, too, serve as sadistic foils to the main characters. The film’s biggest strength comes from the cartoonish nature of its violence and gore; it is as shocking as it is hilarious.
As the film shifts perspective multiple times, new layers are uncovered that prove just how bonkers the entire ordeal is. I was nervous that a premise this basic would be better as a short film, but the twists and turns Taccone takes make it worth every second. Over Your Dead Body plays out almost like a Looney Tunes episode with how chaotic and messy this romantic getaway ends up. This is in part due to Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney’s script, which leans on black comedy to lend realism to what would typically be a stressful situation. The film’s take on absurdist comedy cements Taccone and writer duo Kocher and McElhaney as ones to watch in the modern comedy space. As people like Tim Robinson are able to draw out unease from comedic situations, Taccone and the writers draw out hilariously styled gore and comic violence that blurs the line between real and fictitious with impressive stunt work to finish it off.
The most surprising part of the film for me was Segel’s performance as Dan, the husband of Weaving’s Lisa. Segel is only known to me through 2011’s The Muppets, and his track record with run-of-the-mill studio comedies had me wary of what his performance would bring to the table. It is safe to say that he has won me over with this chaotic, heartfelt performance. At the end of the day, he loves his wife; he just feels as though he has no other option. Weaving contrasts his sincerity with stoicism and annoyance, and the two play off of each other wonderfully.
With a talented cast, a show-stopping set of writers, and one of my personal favorite comedic directors, Over Your Dead Body has been the biggest surprise of SXSW 2026 so far. A tense yet hilarious comedic action film is a hard line to tow, but the team of creatives behind it won me over from the very beginning. I’m seated for anything Jorma Taccone has cooking up next.
Review Courtesy of Nadia Arain
Feature Image Credit to Amazon MGM via Deadline