Summary
The Dead Don’t Hurtis continuing an excellent and decade-long Viggo Mortensen streak. A Western that earned a limited release in September 2023,Dead Don’t Hurtfollows a pair of lovers trying to survive during the Civil War. Mortensen directed, wrote, and starred in the movie, which was released nationally on May 31. WhileDead Don’t Hurthas some negative reviews, the majority have been overwhelmingly positive.
Dead Don’t Hurtis the latest Mortensen movie to earn a fresh rating onRotten Tomatoes.With a current Tomatometer score of 85%, it has been certified fresh, just like every other Mortensen project of the past decade. His last rotten movie came in 2012 withEverybody Has a Plan, but every movie since has been fresh since 2014’sThe Two Faces of January. While audience scores have been mixed, critics have had endless praise for the past 10 years of Mortensen’s work.
Viggo Mortensen’s Incredible Rotten Tomatoes Streak Explained
Mortensen has enjoyed an incredible careerfilled with constant hits, both in front of and behind the camera. The past 10 years, in particular, have been an outstanding period for him as he’s continued to maintain a generally positive reception towards his projects.He has not had a critical disappointment since 2012, and his lowest score since came from 2020sFalling, which earned a still-impressive 67%. His movies are so critically respectedthatGreen Bookeven earned the Oscar for Best Picture.
Why Green Book Won Best Picture
The Oscars 2019 Best Picture winner is Peter Farrelly’s Green Book. Here’s how the Viggo Mortensen/Mahershala Ali movie won over the Academy.
Audiences have been slightly less favorable of his work, asThe Two Faces of Januaryearned below 50% among audiences andJaujaandCrimes of the Futureearned exactly 50%.Eurekawas not rated, andDead Don’t Hurtsits at just 60%. Still, despite these disappointments,Far From Men,Captain Fantastic,Green Book, andThirteen Liveshave all earned over 70% scores, which is still an impressive performance. Check out how his past 10 years of movies have fared on Rotten Tomatoes below:
80%
48%
84%
74%
88%
50%
83%
85%
77%
91%
67%
63%
Crimes of the Future (2022)
94%
70%
60%
While Mortensen’s career has likely been defined bytheLord of the Ringsmovies, his success has lasted through every decade. He saw success in the 1990s with 1995’sCrimson Tideand 1991’sThe Indian Runner, his tenure with the Tolkien-based franchise from 2001 to 2003 helped him keep his widespread respect, and the 2010s and early 2020s have been massively successful for Mortensen. His Rotten Tomatoes streak is only continuing, and Mortensen’s future is likely to be filled with more critically acclaimed movies afterThe Dead Don’t Hurt.
The Dead Don’t Hurt
Cast
The Dead Don’t Hurt is a story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. 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. Both a tragic love story and a nuanced depiction of the conflict between revenge and forgiveness, The Dead Don’t Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.
