Viggo Mortensen’s new Western feature, The Dead Don’t Hurt, written and directed by Mortensen, blends the action, grit, and thrills of the American West with a captivating story of two pioneers embarking on a life journey fraught with obstacles. 

Hopefully, Mortensen sets this film apart with his unique storytelling, keeping the audience on the edge. 

The story depicts the conflict between revenge and forgiveness and offers a unique female-forward perspective, adding depth and complexity. 

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Vicky Krieps received the Tribute Performer Award. 

The story begins with star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Krieps plays Vivienne Le Coudy, a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen, played by Mortensen. 

After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel to his home near 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. Vivienne must fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller, played by Danny Huston, and his evil business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries, played by Garret Dillahunt. Alfred’s violent, wayward son, Weston, played by Solly McLeod, aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. 

Olsen returns from the war. He and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become. It’s a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.