Everyone has a podcast these days. This sentiment finds its way into the script of “Didn’t Die,” the latest escapade into the post-apocalyptic world of zombie mayhem, more than once, essentially bookending the film to a degree. The idea of someone steadfastly keeping a podcast afloat amid such an ordeal? Fortunately, unlike the lifeless shuffle of many an onscreen portrayal of the walking dead, there’s life here.
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Following the requisite zombie attack cold open in keeping with any of its genre peers and concluding with a Ram-Cam signature of early Sam Raimi, we’re introduced to Vinita (Kiran Deol), our intrepid podcast host, and her brother Rish (Vishal Vijayakumar), seen distributing flyers for a live recording of “Didn’t Die,” her show dedicated to survival tips. One hundred episodes strong, the subsequent live taping quickly unravels when Vincent (George Basil), Vinita’s ex, arrives at the event in possession of a seemingly abandoned infant rescued from an undead horde; Vincent, it seems, has been living in squalor, while Vinita and Rish have been quarantined with third sibling Hari (Samrat Chakrabarti) and his wife Barbara (Katie McCuen).
It isn’t long before all have sought refuge together as they look back at life before the world fell apart. The relationship between Vinita and Vincent finds itself rekindled, and the worry that the zombie population has begun evolving in such a way suggests that their sudden, recent appearances during the day could spell impending doom.
Add in this newly discovered child, and parental responsibilities join the drama; if it feels like too much, that’s probably because, for a movie of such a small-ish scale, it likely is, but somehow director Meera Menon allows this unique combination of a dedicated cast and writing that shifts the narrative in the direction of a near-documentary sensation at times. There’s an effortless, natural flow to “Didn’t Die,” and it’s in this that Menon allows such a plunge into a tired concept to feel fresh.
Shot almost entirely in black and white, it’s a decent attempt at stringing together a contemporary form of media with an exhaustive end-of-the-world scenario, as seen through the lens of a mid-’90s indie, but the inevitable final battle and overall framework of the zombie concept ultimately come off derivative.
Deol’s lines, almost acting as a form of narration whenever she speaks into a podcast mic, overwhelm her with witticism, even bleeding over into the dialogue she shares with any group member. However, just as much emotion buoys the stumbles, whenever a recurring flashback sees the family during a better, zombie-less childhood at a picnic, the loss of happier times is reflected in their heartbroken expressions. This dial turns up as the cliché third act begins, saving what could have been an ending otherwise dropping off the assembly line.
A handful of quotes divide up the action. Still, instead of breaking the film into chapters, each acts as a pseudo-intermission of sorts, though none of the words, especially C.S. Lewis’ poignant opening comment, feel unnecessary. Is “Didn’t Die” what the zombie film’s oversaturated world needs? Maybe. Maybe not. If nothing else, to see such a take on the genre feels as welcome as every new podcast arriving on the scene by the day, and as timely worries about the future of humanity have many seeking escape in the most convenient form of entertainment, it’s not at all unusual to suggest the mighty podcast living on, long past a societal collapse, the cockroach of mass media. It could just be what we’ll need more than ever. [B]
