Summary
The Dead Don’t Hurt’s VOD release date has now been revealed. Written by, directed by, and starring Viggo Mortensen, who is best known for playing Aragorn in theLord of the Ringstrilogy, the new Western tells the story of two pioneers attempting to survive on the American frontier as the Civil War rages.Reviews forThe Dead Don’t Hurtwere mostly positive from critics, and the film, which also stars Vicky Krieps, currently has an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Shout! Studios now reveals thatThe Dead Don’t Hurtwill release on VOD platforms for purchase on July 13, 2025. The digital rental date follows a week later, on July 23. The film’s VOD release follows its theatrical bow on June 05, 2025.
Viggo Mortensen’s New Western Was Mostly Celebrated By Critics
Mortensen’s acting careernow includes dozens of roles, but, as a director, butThe Dead Don’t Hurtmarks only his second feature film after 2020’sFalling. From a critical perspective, his new Westernhas been an improvement.Falling’s critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes is 66%, while its audience score sits just below that at 63%.The Dead Don’t Hurt’s critics' score is the clear winner between the two, though it’s a closer race with general viewers, as the Western has a 67% audience score.
The Dead Don’t Hurthas been mostly celebrated in reviewsfor being something of a feminist take on the traditional Western. Krieps' character, Vivienne, takes center stage for much of the film, and the story is largely told from her perspective. This more feminist approach, however, is coupled with what is otherwise a fairly familiar Western, and some reviews, likeScreen Rant’s own, argue that it doesn’t take the vision far enough.
The reviews for Mortensen’s Western have been more positive than those forKevin Costner’sHorizon: An American Saga, which has only 46% on Rotten Tomatoes.
At the box office,The Dead Don’t Hurtwasn’t a success. It’s unclear what the movie’s budget was, but, in another nail in the coffin for Westerns, the movie made only $1.7 million, which comprises only $729,000 domestically. It’s very possible, however, thatThe Dead Don’t Hurtwill fare far better on VOD, with more audiences checking out Mortensen’s well-reviewed Western from the comfort of their own home.
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.
