Over Your Dead Body (2026) – Review and Summary

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“Over Your Dead Body” Film Details

• Director(s): Jorma Taccone
• Writer(s): Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney
• Based On Work By: John Niven, Nick Ball, Tommy Wirkola
• Distributor: IFC Films
• Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 45 Minutes
• Public Release Date (In Theaters): April 24, 2026
• Genre(s): Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
• Content Rating: Rated R
• Primary Language: English
• Images © of / Courtesy Of IFC Films

Movie Summary

Dan and Lisa have reached that seven-year itch that hits marriages, and it seems, between money and other issues, that both feel like the relationship needs to end. But rather than divorcing and accepting their loss of money and time, they’d rather kill each other for the insurance money. However, in the process of trying to do that, other people get in the way, not necessarily to stop Dan or Lisa, but for their own need for cash.

Cast and Characters

Dan (Jason Segel)

• Character Summary: Dan is a man, almost ten years Lisa’s senior, who mainly directs commercials, but has done one feature film. Unfortunately, however, that film left him and Lisa in a massive amount of debt. The kind that has pushed them to the brink.

Lisa (Samara Weaving)

• Character Summary: At one time, Lisa wasn’t even involved in the film industry, but due to Dan’s influence, she became an actress. Mind you, not one he would even cast, but she has been able to book local theater gigs. The kind that allows her to contribute to the household but not become a household name.

Pete (Timothy Olyphant)

• Character Summary: Pete presents himself as a serial killer who has the ability to mercilessly take out people without a second thought.

Todd (Keith Jardine)

• Character Summary: Todd is the Lennie to Pete’s George (ref: Of Mice and Men). But, there is a reason to question if there might be more to the two men than friendship or brotherhood.

Allegra (Juliette Lewis)

• Character Summary: Allegra is, or was, a correctional officer who fell in love with Pete. She is a bit off her rocker, which is why Pete values her, but there are moments when she becomes a lot to the point of coming off more like a liability than an asset.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

The Initial Drama Of Dan and Lisa Wanting To Kill Each Other [81/100]

While The Roses is still fresh in our mind, regarding a married couple trying to kill each other, Jason Segel and Samara Weaving did present something different enough, and not just because this is a remake of a different property. There is a different dynamic, zaniness, and style that was initially offered here.  

For one, Dan and Lisa don’t have the skills expected of someone capable of killing in cold blood. On top of that, as you hear their plan, it doesn’t seem plausible for either to get away with it. But, as it becomes clear there is a cat and mouse game afoot, you get invested in whether someone may die, or if their reaching that seven-year itch is just triggering a crisis they can move beyond.

This especially becomes true as you get to know the source of not only their marital troubles but also their initial connection. Which, at times, saves the film from itself.

On The Fence

The Introduction of Pete, Todd, and Allegra Into The Movie [73/100]

Pete, Todd, and Allegra are hit-and-miss additions to Over Your Dead Body. Allegra is very much over the top, as to be expected from a Juliette Lewis character, and Keith Jardine as Todd sometimes gives her a run for her money. Then with Pete? Honestly, he seems like a character meant for a different type of movie.

To note, Allegra is a correctional officer who fell in love with Pete, who used her to escape. Todd, at times, seems like Pete’s secret lover, or someone he bonded with in ways he doesn’t want public. The three of them have the type of dynamic which, admittedly, could be its own movie, filled with hijinks, murder, and nonsense.

Which is why we’re not strongly for their inclusion in Over Your Dead Body, for it overloads the movie. Even if you want to paint the idea that, for Dan and Lisa to rekindle their relationship, it required them to face an issue that wasn’t each other.

Overall

Our Rating (77/100): Mixed (Divisive)

Over Your Dead Body essentially feels burdened by having two strong storylines merged into one film. There is Dan and Lisa, with their marriage on the rocks, trying to kill one another. Then you have the Pete, Todd, and Allegra storyline, which has two convicts and a CO trying to get to freedom, while dealing with clashing personalities, capabilities, and humor.

The two don’t integrate together with ease on a consistent basis, and as much as there are violent, sometimes hilarious moments, it can feel like they take away from two promising stories rather than build a strong one when united together.

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