Director: Meera Menon
Writers: Paul Gleason, Meera Menon
Stars: George Basil, Ali Lopez-Sohaili, Kiran Deol
Synopsis: As the zombie apocalypse unfolds, a podcast host struggles to maintain their dwindling audience amidst the chaos.
It’s often joked about that cockroaches will be one of the few, if only things, to survive in an apocalypse. Interpersonal drama and podcasts also deserve to be in contention for the top spot of apocalyptic immortality. They’re two ever-present staples of our current society, and they seem like they’re going to be here for the long haul. It’s these two elements of humanity that Meera Menon’s Didn’t Die focuses on. And the genre lens through which she picks it apart? The zombie apocalypse. A staple of the horror genre, zombie films have always been at their best when they extend themselves beyond pure gorefests (not that there’s anything wrong with those types of films). But from the moment they were popularized in American cinema, zombies came to represent something far beyond a literally frightening concept. The often mindless creatures served as mirrors, forcing survivors to reckon with guilt, fear, panic, dread, and more. From allegories of racism to trudging through life lacking any ambition, zombies are an excellent hook to convey your ideas physically. With Menon’s return to Sundance, the creatures may take a backseat, but it’s in favor of examining how modern society would now grapple with a lot more time on its hands. And with the apocalypse in full swing, there’s no better time to start that podcast that was always too much of a time suck.
While watching Didn’t Die, I was reminded of a zombie film which I feel is criminally underrated: 2008’s Pontypool. Without delving too much into it, it’s another film that grapples with the presence of technology existing between straggling survivors and a crowd of the undead. Instead of a radio show, Menon’s film uses the much more timely counterpart of a podcast. Vinita (Kiran Deol) hosts one celebrating its anniversary wherein she and her brother travel around the country interviewing survivors and reckoning with the question of what comes next. It can be an overwhelming concept to think about, and it’s one that has been explored time and time again throughout the history of films set during an apocalypse. But when given a microphone and an endless amount of time to record your thoughts running wild, it makes sense that people would begin to find themselves stuck in a cyclical nature of reflection. That’s not an excuse for the film following the path of least resistance at times. Still, it does get to the heart of one half of the more interesting arguments Menon seems to be grappling with in Didn’t Die.
At one point in the film, Vinita is just talking into the void. Her microphone is recording some rambling thoughts before bed. Deol has her own podcast, and this experience (and incredibly soothing voice) lends itself quite well to the character. It’s a performance that perfectly encapsulates the experience of listening to a podcast and how easily we can get sucked into hours upon hours of an escape from reality. Upon taking off her noise-cancelling headphones, she hears the outside world in all its brutal, and frightening, truth. She quickly puts the headphones back on and tries to sleep. Menon then introduces a visual motif that will repeat throughout Didn’t Die. What looks like classic home movies bleed into the frame, before overtaking it entirely. Dreamlike in its introduction and presence, there’s a calming sensation whenever Menon utilizes these moments; but there’s also a yearning. In our endless desire and necessity to fill the blank, mundane spaces of our lives, do our escapes from reality help or hinder us? Is Vinita creating this podcast with a noble intent? Or is it merely a way to escape the current situation she finds herself in alongside her two brothers, sister-in-law, and the ever-growing number of undead?
The answer to this question shifts slightly over the course of the film. But it’s at its strongest when Menon focuses on the family dynamic initially introduced in the film. Unfortunately, Didn’t Die veers into territory that’s both more familiar and much less interesting. Vinita’s ex-boyfriend, Vincent (George Basil), comes back into her life with a random baby in tow. Vincent is described as a serial cheater to her podcast audience. As the two speak to one another (with her ever-present microphone recording), Vinita looks upon the present with worries about how the past might affect her and her family’s future. It’s a genuine and relatable fear. There’s nothing wrong with looking to the past for answers. It can even be used as a way to propel us forward into reckoning with what the future holds; but it can also hinder us. This should be made clear by the next decision in Didn’t Die, but the choice to ignore any sense of development in favor of bland romance is a frustrating one. When should we return to the past versus when should we not? This question feels like a far more interesting dilemma in line with what the film has built up thus far.
While Vincent and Vinita are sharing this scene together, her two brothers are upstairs searching through a closet when they stumble upon family heirlooms. It’s a universal experience, finding items long thought lost. We can find ourselves transported to the past through these items. They can dredge up emotions we’ve held at bay, memories we’ve cherished, and motivations as to why we keep moving forward. Again, these are common tropes of the zombie film. But coupled with the dreamlike use of home-video footage, what feels like a personal touch and genuine reckoning with the past is baked into the essence of the film. Didn’t Die feels far more interesting when it utilizes that emotional through-line. It’s again made all the more apparent by the standout sequence which carries us into the finale.
It’s always refreshing when a horror film finds a way to lull its audience into a sense of comfort. The third act of Menon’s film primarily occurs within the confines of a safe space. It’s here that a family is able to come together and enjoy life as if normalcy has returned for a moment. Upon accepting that the past can be remembered, but ultimately needs to be left behind, joy can be shared among loved ones when the time is right. The past can still be held onto in ways that matter. To rely on it too much, and to fall into complacency because of it, does have ramifications. That Didn’t Die ignores this dynamic in favor of the connection with an uninteresting and unfaithful man is a hindrance more than anything. Still, Menon’s usage of the ways the past can affect us despite an ever-growing and looming threat has Didn’t Die end on a warming note.
Didn’t Die is celebrating its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight category.
