DEAD SOULS: Alex Cox's Last?

DEAD SOULS (Blu-ray)

2025 / 88 min

Kino Lorber

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Dead Souls is being touted as cult legend Alex Cox’s final film. I don't know whether or not he’s just pulling our lariats (to paraphrase another legend), but if it is indeed his last, he’s going out on a fairly high note, which for me is a pleasant surprise.

To be honest, I’d forgotten all about the guy. As much as I loved Repo Man and Sid & Nancy, I kinda checked-out when subsequent efforts, such as Walker and Straight to Hell, were damn-near unwatchable. Like those films, Dead Souls is a western, a genre Cox has always had an affinity for (especially spaghetti westerns). But this time around, he blends together black comedy, homage, satire and his quirky flourishes quite nicely.

Inspired by a 19th Century Russian novel, Cox casts himself as Strindler, a meek enigmatic old man who arrives at a small town to collect the names of Mexican laborers who’ve died under the employ of various locals…and he’s willing to pay handsomely for them. Claiming to work for the government (though he doesn’t say which one), his presence initially has the powers-that-be worried he’s investigating a recent incident in which an immigrant was killed, but he assures them he’s not. In fact, Strindler's ultimate purpose is a revelation I wouldn’t dream of revealing here. I will say, however, that the viewer won’t see it coming and Strindler isn’t quite who he seems.

"Regular or with Crunch Berries?"

The narrative is somewhat episodic, with Strindler and hired wagon driver Borracho (Zander Schloss) being the only constants throughout the film. While most sequences are related to the overall plot, there are a few asides that, if someone weren’t familiar with Cox’s oddball sensibilities, might elicit WTF? responses. More specifically, an out-of-the-blue musical number is thrown in, as well as a flashback sequence done in stop-motion animation. Then there’s that jarring moment when Strindler briefly appears to be transported to the present day, where his services are solicited by the government (one of Cox’s none-too-subtle jabs at our current administration).

At the same time, Dead Souls tells a fairly straightforward story (for Cox, anyway) and serves as an affectionate tribute to classic spaghetti westerns, especially the overall aesthetic (gotta love those opening credits). Strindler himself is a uniquely engaging character full of secrets and surprises, anchored by the director’s amusing performance. Though the film is comparatively light on action, it’s occasionally punctuated by sudden bursts of violence, some of which are kind of funny.

Dead Souls ultimately doesn’t rank among Alex Cox's greatest cult classics, but it’s certainly the most entertaining one that I’ve seen in a long time (granted, I’ve largely ignored most of his 21st Century output). Bizarre diversions and social commentary notwithstanding, it even plays quite well as a straight western.    

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Behind-the-Scenes: VFX Creation at Tippett Studios focuses on how the cantina explosion and the stop-motion sequence were created (the latter is mostly a montage); The 'documentary featurette' features writer-director Alex Cox introducing the crowd funding videos he made (with a cameo by his dog).

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer-director Alex Cox.

TRAILER