With Just Play Dead, we get a film that, on paper, has everything needed to deliver an entertaining crime thriller. A sunny island setting, plenty of betrayal, characters constantly trying to outsmart one another, and Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green in the lead roles. Director Martin Campbell, known for films such as Casino Royale, also seems like a natural fit for this kind of movie.
Unfortunately, Just Play Dead never quite manages to live up to that potential. The film is certainly entertaining at times and looks good in places, but the story makes things unnecessarily complicated. Instead of delivering a straightforward and deliciously cynical thriller, we get a plot that seems to change direction every ten minutes.
What Is Just Play Dead About?
Jack Wolfe (Samuel L. Jackson) is a wealthy criminal who is slowly finding himself backed into a corner. His solution is both simple and risky: he plans to fake his own death so that a $30 million life insurance policy can be paid out. His wife Nora (Eva Green) is supposed to play the grieving widow.
The problem is that Nora has plans of her own. She would actually rather see her husband dead and has no intention of simply letting Jack disappear with the money.
From there, the film turns into a cat-and-mouse game in which nobody can really be trusted.
And that is also where the biggest problem with Just Play Dead begins.
The Story Is Unnecessarily Complicated
It is not even that Just Play Dead is difficult to follow. For the most part, the film remains understandable. The problem is that the story constantly seems to reinvent itself.
Every ten minutes or so, the movie changes direction. Just when you think you understand where the story is going, another plan, revelation or counter-move is introduced. Double-crosses and unexpected twists can obviously be a lot of fun, but here it often feels as if the screenplay simply wants to demonstrate how many twists it can fit into one movie.
After a while, that becomes more annoying than exciting.
The basic premise of Just Play Dead is actually pretty good. Jack and Nora trying to outsmart each other could have made for a wonderfully cynical crime comedy. Instead, the film keeps adding new layers to the story. Other characters get dragged into the whole mess, and the central game between the two leads increasingly gets buried underneath the increasingly complicated plot.
The result is a film that makes things unnecessarily complicated.
Who Are We Supposed to Root For?
Another problem is that it eventually becomes quite difficult to care about the characters.
The main reason for this is that almost everyone in Just Play Dead is a pretty terrible person. These aren't likable characters who simply find themselves caught up in unfortunate circumstances. Almost everyone has their own agenda and is willing to use, manipulate or betray others whenever it suits them.
That can absolutely work. A movie doesn't need sympathetic characters to be interesting. But if you are going to fill your movie with morally questionable people, there needs to be something else that makes us emotionally invested in what happens to them.
That is largely missing here.
It is therefore never entirely clear who the film actually wants us to root for. Jack? Nora? The people who get caught up in their schemes? Ultimately, it doesn't matter all that much. We are mostly watching the various characters trying to manipulate and outsmart one another.
Eva Green and Samuel L. Jackson
Eva Green is, of course, perfectly cast as a femme fatale. This is simply a type of role that suits her. Nora has exactly the mysterious and seductive presence you would expect from Green.
When Just Play Dead tries to become more lighthearted, however, Green has a little more trouble finding the right tone. Her serious presence works well during the darker moments, but the comedic side of her character occasionally feels somewhat forced.
Samuel L. Jackson, meanwhile, is good and entertaining as always. Jack Wolfe is clearly the kind of character Jackson can have some fun with. He brings plenty of charisma to the role and his presence gives several scenes some extra energy.
Jackson is one of the reasons why Just Play Dead remains entertaining at various points. His performance gives the movie some much-needed personality.
Great Settings and a Pleasant Atmosphere
One area where Just Play Dead definitely scores some points is its locations and overall atmosphere.
The movie makes good use of its attractive island setting. The sunny locations provide an amusing contrast to the rather dark activities of the characters. The film often has an almost vacation-like appearance while everyone around them is busy trying to cheat, manipulate or kill one another.
Visually, Just Play Dead certainly has its moments.
The atmosphere also works surprisingly well. There is a light, slightly mischievous crime-movie feel hanging over the whole thing. Unfortunately, the screenplay doesn't always know what to do with that tone. The film wants to be a thriller, a crime movie and a dark comedy at the same time, but those different elements don't always blend particularly smoothly.
Just Play Dead Can Be Quite Entertaining
Despite all of that, it would be unfair to say that Just Play Dead has nothing going for it.
There are plenty of entertaining moments throughout the movie. The power struggle between Jack and Nora can be fun, Samuel L. Jackson clearly enjoys his role, and there are enough bizarre situations and unexpected turns to keep things moving.
The problem is that the movie could have been much more enjoyable if it had taken a simpler approach to its story.
Whenever Just Play Dead stops worrying about explaining its latest plot twist, there is actually quite a bit of fun to be had.
Conclusion: Just Play Dead Review
Just Play Dead is a movie with an interesting premise, some strong actors and attractive locations, but its story constantly gets in its own way.
The film makes things unnecessarily complicated. Not because the plot is impossible to follow, but because the constant changes in direction eventually become tiring. It is also difficult to genuinely care about the characters when almost everyone is either outright evil or, at the very least, deeply unpleasant.
Eva Green remains a solid choice for a femme fatale, although the more comedic side of her performance feels less natural. Samuel L. Jackson, meanwhile, is exactly what you would expect: charismatic, entertaining and clearly one of the movie's strongest elements.
The beautiful settings and pleasant atmosphere also make Just Play Dead an attractive watch, and the film definitely has enough entertaining moments to keep things moving.
Ultimately, however, it is mostly a case of almost, but not quite. There is enough potential here for a deliciously cynical and funny crime thriller, but that potential gets buried beneath a screenplay that seems far too eager to be complicated.
Rating: 5/10
