John Dies at the End Reviews

got nothing on the book

I wish this was better.

An existential Sci-Fi Horror concoction brimming with attitude and a bevy of wild ideas that leave you wanting more.

Very creative movie

Pure weirdness wrapped in dark comedy and supernatural madness. Confusing, hilarious, and totally unpredictable, it’s a cult gem that’ll mess with your head while cracking you up. I couldn’t understand what was going on but was kinda fun.

Rating: 6.1/10

John Dies at the End is a bizarre, ambitious, and chaotically messy cult film that's more interesting in its individual moments than as a cohesive whole. Director Don Coscarelli crafts a refreshingly weird horror-comedy, but its impenetrable narrative will likely leave viewers confused.

Highlights
- Wildly Creative Story: The screenplay is a fearless blend of cosmic horror, absurdist comedy, and sci-fi, built on a strange premise.
- Distinct Direction: Don Coscarelli's direction has a distinct, low-budget charm, with practical ingenuity in creature effects and reality-bending sequences.
- Unique Ride: For viewers on its wavelength, the film is a fun and unique ride, committed to pure strangeness.

Criticisms
- Impenetrable Plot: The film's plot is a chaotic jumble of time travel, alternate dimensions, and non-sequiturs, making it difficult to follow.
- Underdeveloped Characters: The main characters are passive and underdeveloped, swept along by bizarre events rather than driving them.
- Alienating Weirdness: The film's relentless weirdness can be alienating, frustrating viewers looking for coherence or emotional resonance.

Verdict
John Dies at the End is a cult film with a million great, strange ideas that fails to wrangle them into a satisfying story. It's worth a watch for its sheer audacity, but be prepared for a confusing and frustrating ride.

this movie was bonkers, it’s definitely dated with the cgi but it didn’t ruin the experience at all cuz it was just so much, definitely suggest being high as hell when you watch this movie cuz like wtf

Trippy mindfk of a movie.

Definitely would recommend the book instead

One of those good ole stoner films. I thought it was funny and fun to watch.

Very much my kind of movie. Felt like “Life After Beth” // “Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel” // “How To Meet Girls At Parties” // (touch of Shaun of the Dead with the weird surrealism of Everything Everywhere (though not as visually stunning as ETEW. Loved it!

Weird and wacky buddy sci-fi horror comedy’ something. PLEASE read the book first, it’ll help tons.

It’s weird and fun.

It wasn’t great but it was interesting. I, especially, like the conversation about the dream. I watched this movie years ago and still think about this conversation as it was very intriguing to me.

feels like they wanted to go for a scary movie type of thing, but it just doesn't hit. main character is quite a moron, but mostly in an annoying way rather than funny. acting is frequently subpar and cinematography is inconsistent. story had an alright premise but 🫤

Absolute mindfuck of a movie. 11/10

One of my favorite movies! Crazy, funny, and chaotic. Love the books just as much! If you loved this movie, check out the books.

this was a fun and wonky movie.

An extremely creative and unique independent horror/adventure like no other.