DIDN’T DIE
(director/writer: Meera Menon; screenwriter: Paul Gleason; cinematographer: Paul Gleason; editor: Geoffry Boothby; music: Samuel Jones; cast: Kiran Deol (Vinita), Vishal Vijayakumar (Rish), George Basil (Vincent), Katie McCuen (Barbara), Samrat Chakrabarti (Hari), Ali Lopez-Sohaili (Bob), Lakshmi Dol (baby); Runtime: 89; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Erica Fishman, Joe Camerola, Paul Gleason, Luke Patton, Meera Menon; Cinetic Media; 2025-B/W)
“It lacks rhythm, cohesion, and flow.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Indian-American filmmaker Meera Menon (“Farah Goes Bang”/”Equity”) directs and co-writes this misfire with Paul Gleason. It’s a low-budget indie ‘midnight movie’ of a zombie apocalypse that lacks rhythm, cohesion, and flow. It plays out as a wannabe “Night of the Living Dead” George Romero homage cult film, with both films shot in black and white (but one a cult classic, the other not on the same level).
The young Indian-American woman Vinita (Kiran Deol) and her timid younger brother Rish (Vishal Vijayakumar) survive a zombie apocalypse. They live quarantined with their older married brother Hari (Samrat Chakrabarti) and his white wife Barbara (Katie McCuen). The sarcastic Vinita is the host of a podcast. She tries to make a connection with the survivors while sadly watching their population dwindle.
Despite the dangers, Vinita travels into town and fends off ‘biters’ (attacking zombies) en route. The biters are more aggressive at night. Rish joins sis going to town, while the married couple remain withdrawn at home.
Vinita is surprised when her womanizing ex-boyfriend Vincent (George Basil) shows up with a baby (Lakshmi Dol, the director’s infant) he saved from the biters, as he gets her address from the podcast.
The survivors are filled with angst, paranoia and fear.
It’s more of a relationship/comedy pic than a scary horror one. Its visuals (shot mostly in B/W) are cheap but not bad. What the disjointed film lacks most is some wit and thrills.
“Didn’t Die” was intended as a response to how people were anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic, not knowing what to expect.
It played at the Sundance Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 3/6/2025 GRADE: C
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