I have a lifelong love of westerns that stretches from "Stagecoach" in 1939 to "The Dead Don't Hurt," Viggo Morgensten's new western classic. This film which stretches to over 2 hours, never seems too long. The somewhat plodding pacing is perfect. Every actor in this flick makes the most of his or her opportunity to shine. I hope Viggo makes another oater & enters the pantheon company of Howard Hawks & John Ford. Orin Domenico

This is one of the most thoughtful & yet unpretentious of western films that I have experienced in quite some time. The basic storyline is not so unusual but it’s non-linear plot progression is presented effectively & how the two primary characters develop a touching interaction kept my attention throughout. It takes only a short time for one to get one’s bearings regarding where the tale is headed & although the plot switches back & forth in time throughout it becomes increasingly, clear, involving & moving. Mortensen & Krieps are great together & the former also scores with an appropriate understated musical score & expert yet not flashy direction. A somber atmosphere often predominates but believably uplifting moments are handled in a subtle manner. reviewed by Peter Graham

I don't expect much from a Western besides it being a Western, but this film couldn't even do that right. It was excruciatingly slow, a feeling exacerbated by most of the movie being flashbacks. The only plotline that was half-decent was what was happening in the present, with everything else just feeling like it was holding us back from what we really wanted to see. The dialogue delivery was slow and dramatic, which contrasted with the lackluster lines being said.

Incredibly boring and not creative, there is nothing at all compelling or new in this, just a slow, slow movie that's basic. I suppose if you like romances and western, but it is told nonlinearly, imagine really how boring it would be if told linearly.

Gosh, what a bore. Fortunately at home one can skip over most parts, leaving a few partly interesting scenes. But all in all the only thing captivating about this movie are some beautiful landscapes. 3/10 points!

I loved this movie, the scenery, acting and story flowed beautifully.

An almost perfect study of an American western. Character driven, and full of heart, Mortenson slowly wanders through the life of Vivian, showing us the saga of her life, although initially you think the movie is about Mortenson”s quiet character, he is actually a supporting role to Vivian”s story. Beautiful scenery, slow purposeful plot with a concentration on character development, this film presents a stunning and award worthy performance by Vicky Krieps, I wish more people saw and appreciated this movie. Vigo Mortensen is turning out to be a wonderful storyteller and filmmaker.

In about 20 minutes and am already bothered by the fact that his son is gone with no explanation! Come on. We want stories that are believable!

The only negative was the slow pace. Much like life then and there, the plodding made the movie seem long. The characters were fleshed out subtly but effectively. It was refreshing to see a Western that focused on themes other than shoot em up. To the movie’s credit, I was left wondering what would become of our father/“son” team. It was beautifully filmed as well with the varying landscapes serving as co-stars.

Horrible editing. At the start it jumped around so much I had no idea who was who or when it was occurring. I thought Costner’s Horizon was hard to follow then Vigo said hold my beer, I can top Costner for confusion. After 20 minutes I turned it off. Thankfully I did not pay to see this. The trailer was promising but the actual film was a hot mess.

The Dead Don't Hurt is a beautifully contemplative film, a western that is both traditional and unconventional. It's quite an achievement for Viggo Mortensen who not only stars here, but also wrote and directed this fine film. The film is set in the west in the 1860s. It's told in a non linear fasion, but it's never really confusing. Basically it's a story of love set against the harsh reality of the American west. Holger, originally from Denmark, meets Vivienne and convinces her to come with him to the mountains of Nevada. There they plan a life. He is a carpenter and she finds work in a local saloon. But their life is interrupted when he joins the fight in the Civil War. Vivienne has to fend for herself amongst some fairly unscrupulous characters in the local town. This superb film has the feel of a classic western, but it centres the story around a woman. There is still time though for some traditional mean western characters. It looks wonderful and the acting is great. Mortensen is wonderful as usual whilst Vicky Krieps is just superb. This film moves slowly, but it's very smart and emotionally strong.

It's was meh. Dragged on a little . The obvious plot was laid out to early. Well acted and directed though.

Slow moving beautifully shot nonsense. So many ridiculous scenes in a boring 2 hours. In this universe a man can pull a six inch knife from his neck and survive no problem or sneak to within feet of another man on horseback without a rattle of a bridle. Rubbish.

I like that it's a love story that's mostly about seeing the two lovers separated. The movie is sometimes frustrating in the characterization of its supporting character who are thinly drawn and simplistic.

A very good film & story telling by Virgo & Vickie. Not typical American film-making creates issues w some movie watchers. It does take effort & took me 2 viewings to understand it all. I've seen it 4X. If you follow the story you can fill in the narrative but some people can't or don't know how to do that. A western story so people may expect the usual & it does use tropes but story can be set at any time. Immigrants becoming principled Americans & those in power demonstrate corruption. Watch "Unforgiven" "Dead Don't Hurt" & "The Kid".

Stop with killing off the main character in the first 5 minutes......once that happens their is no point to see the flashbacks of a journey of love.

Good character development but too slow of a movie. The bad guy character over acts his part which makes it annoying. No French to English translation. Overall, the movie is just ok. Good for playing in the background while doing something productive.

Beautiful, tragic, understated, moving, I really enjoyed it, the directing and acting were first class, it’s a shame we don’t see more Mortensen movies , he’s such a natural actor. Beautifully shot with a haunting sound track , the best western (although it could have been set in any time ) i’ve seen in ages.

Very slow and very dry with no emotional value whatsoever. Very very disappointing acting on Viggo's part. The great movie for putting you to sleep. Other than that I would not recommend it.

The jumping between time lines is a bit confusing at first. Otherwise a very slow movie with little emotion.