Just Play Dead

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Just Play Dead

R

Aug 2026

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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8 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Wealthy criminal mastermind Jack Wolfe (Samuel L. Jackson) is cornered by the Feds, but you can't arrest a dead man. His plan? Fake his death, claim a $30 million insurance payout with his grieving wife Nora (Eva Green), and frame her surfer lover Chad. But Nora, suffocated by Jack's ruthless control, has her own scheme: kill Jack for real, frame Chad, and keep the fortune for herself. Jack, always a step ahead, sets a deadly trap, turning the unsuspecting lovers against each other.

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Craig D. Lindsey

RogerEbert.com

Aug 28

1/4

At least it looks like Jackson had some fun both enjoying and chewing the scenery whenever he could. Too bad he’s the only one.

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Todd Gilchrist

Variety

Aug 27

Even with Samuel L. Jackson among his lead actors and journeyman director Martin Campbell at the helm, "Just Play Dead" feels more like a tax shelter (especially given its Canary Islands production backdrop) than a proper crime yarn.

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Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

2d

D+

"Just Play Dead" has lovely locations and a lot of sun, but there’s little happening here that commands attention.

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Casey Chong

Casey's Movie Mania

5d

1/5

Not even enlisting Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green can salvage this dull exposition-heavy crime comedy.

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Robert Kojder

Flickering Myth

Aug 28

1.5/5

A twisty, sometimes nonlinear, comedic thriller about a rich couple on a tropical island who scheme to kill one another shouldn’t be this dull

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Brett Arnold

At the Movies Again

Aug 28

This movie is 90% exposition and convoluted plotting

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Timothy E

@Tnice17 2h

Love Samuel Jackson. All his movies. This is a good movie.

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Dan G

@RT25358536 1d

Kept me mildly entertained through most of the movie. However, the ending was very muddled, rushed and confusing.

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Abs B

@Abs_B 2d

Do Not Watch! This is how money is laundered by creating awful awful films with 2 big movie stars. Everything about it was horrendous.

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Adam G

@RT50671965 3d

Fun and entertaining! I love a good twist and Samuel L Jackson is so good in this role. Definitely worth watching

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Xeviera T

@Xeviera 4d

This film was so unsatisfying I suspected Mr. Jackson might be cheating on his wife with the lead actress. Because what ever could have possessed him to take on this project? I knew it would be bad from the first shot of his man bun. I only watched the entirety because of denial. The confusing accents of the cast grated on my nerves. Boo hiss.

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Martin Campbell

Director

Samuel L. Jackson

Jack Wolfe

Eva Green

Nora Wolfe

Eoin Macken

Dani

Lee Boardman

Miguel

María Pedraza

Bianca

Just Play Dead: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Wealthy criminal mastermind Jack Wolfe (Samuel L. Jackson) is cornered by the Feds, but you can't arrest a dead man. His plan? Fake his death, claim a $30 million insurance payout with his grieving wife Nora (Eva Green), and frame her surfer lover Chad. But Nora, suffocated by Jack's ruthless control, has her own scheme: kill Jack for real, frame Chad, and keep the fortune for herself. Jack, always a step ahead, sets a deadly trap, turning the unsuspecting lovers against each other.

Director: Martin Campbell
Producer: Phil Hunt, Valentin Dimitrov, Sagiv Diamant, Phil Hunt, Mario Reinach, Moshe Diamant
Screenwriter: Dan Gordon
Distributor: Vertical
Production Co: Head Gear Films, Gemstone Films, Atelier11
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Drug Use|Rape|Language|Some Violent Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 28, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2026
Runtime: 1h 36m

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