Every time we get more than one major Western released in a calendar year, the reaction is the same: “The Western is back!!” Well, it never really went away, kept alive by guys like Kevin Costner (who has the epic Horizon coming this summer), Taylor Sheridan, Mario Van Peebles, and many others. Now Viggo Mortensen is getting into the Old West mix with The Dead Don’t Hurt, which he wrote, directed, produced, and stars in alongside Vicky Krieps.
Following the film’s TIFF world premiere, the debut trailer has been released. Set in the 1860s, The Deead Don’t Hurt is an immigrant story about two lovers separated by the Civil War.
Also in the cast are Garret Dillahunt, Solly McLeod, Danny Huston, W. Earl Brown, and Nadia Litz.
Here’s the synopsis, courtesy of Shout! Studios:“Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, Nevada, where they start a life together. The outbreak of the civil war separates them when Olsen makes a fateful decision to fight for the Union. This leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his unscrupulous business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt). Alfred’s violent, wayward son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become.”
This is Mortensen’s second effort behind the camera. He received acclaim in 2020 for his directorial debut, Falling.
The Dead Don’t Hurt opens in theaters on May 31st.
