Title: The Dead Don't Hurt (Shout! Studios)

Genre: Western

Cast: Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, Garret Dillahunt, Danny Huston

Director: Viggo Mortensen

Website: shoutfactory.com

Tell me more: Three-time Academy Award®-nominee Viggo Mortensen (whose lead film roles have included memorable turns in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Captain Fantastic" and "Green Book") brings his wide range of creative talents as director, writer, composer and actor to the groundbreaking 2024 film "The Dead Don't Hurt."

Now available on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout! Studios, "The Dead Don't Hurt" is an outstanding film that is both a Western and a love story; this is a movie that defies cliche in the presentation of an original story that Mortensen crafted during COVID lockdown. A thought-provoking film filled with authentic characters forced to deal with the most challenging of life events, this is an important work that expands the Western  genre much like Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" (1992) and John Ford's "The Searchers" (1956) did in their respective eras.

Set in the 1860s, Vivienne Le Coudy (played by actress Vicky Krieps) finds herself drawn to Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Mortensen) and accompanies him to his remote Nevada homestead. But as the Civil War emerges, Holger goes off to war and leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a demanding and relentless frontier town controlled by a corrupt businessman (Garret Dillahunt), his violent and mentally ill son (Solly McLeod) and a dishonest mayor (Danny Huston). When Holger returns from the war, it will take all the strength and love that Vivienne and Holger have to navigate the path ahead.

The visual and audio quality on the Blu-ray are outstanding, and the attention to detail that transports viewers back to the 1860s is further bolstered by the exotic wilderness locations, a winning soundtrack composed by Mortensen and the chemistry between an especially strong cast of top-tier actors. 

Among the insightful bonus features is "The Dead Don't Hurt: A Conversation Between Jane Campion and Viggo Mortensen," a making-of featurette, deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer.