Meera Menon's Didn't Die opens without specifying what kind of outbreak has set the world in isolation. The parallels with the Covid-19 pandemic here is instant, and surely enough, one of the first characters to appear on screen has a close encounter with a ‘biter’. Two years have passed since the zombies were first spotted at night, but now they have begun to seize the hours of the morning, too- a second wave of sorts.
Premiering at Sundance , this is a film that starts off with a strong premise but does not match up with the themes of dealing with loss and finding a community. (Also read: Twinless review: Trauma-bonding takes on a different meaning in this darkly hilarious tale ) The premise Didn't Die follows a spirited Indian American podcast host, Vinita Malhotra (Kiran Deol), and her younger brother Rishi (Vishal Vijayakumar), as they travel to meet their older brother, Hari (Samrat Chakrabarti) and his wife Barbara (Katie McCuen), which is also their childhood home. Vinita is about to celebrate the 100th episode of her podcast Didn't Die, which takes place through a radio broadcast where she anchors stories and interviews fellow survivors to share their experiences with the rest of the world.
This family reunion of sorts becomes a melting pot for questions on dealing with loss and somehow trying to make sense of a dystopian reality. Meera's use of monochromatic frames here is evocative, urgently conveying the desolation and loss of the present generation. Working w.
