A Dead Man Cannot Live

The film is set in the Costa del Sol,^[1] featuring real-estate corruption as a backdrop. The plot follows Tano, who has worked his entire life for Manuel, a construction magnate who, in better times, controlled the whole city. Tano sees how Manuel can no longer manage the company, and the entire structure is faced with new people, new businesses, a new way of running the company... but the same violence persists.^[2][3] The ways of Ángel, Manuel's son and heir-apparent, complicate things.^[3]

A Dead Man Cannot Live is Ezekiel Montes' debut feature film. He took over direction, cinematography, production and script development duties.^[5] Filming began in Málaga on 11 November 2019.^[6] Other shooting locations also included Marbella and Cádiz.^[7] The film was produced by 73140323 PC alongside CineAND Distribución.^[6]

The film premiered at the 24th Málaga Film Festival on 8 June 2021.^[8][9] Distributed by Filmax, the film was theatrically released in Spain on 2 July 2021.^[10]

Alberto Luchini of Metrópoli gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, considering that despite a number of positive points, such as Dechent's great performance, those of Elena Martínez and Nancho Novo, the well-done atmosphere, the notable cinematography and the staging, the screenplay was "sheer nonsense".^[11]

Sergio F. Pinilla of Cinemanía gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be a hyperviolent action thriller with a "colossal cast", and a "somewhat confusing narrative".^[12]

Federico Marín Bellón of ABC gave the film, which features "uncomfortable violence", 2 out of 5 stars. He considered that, top-rate cast notwithstanding, a "disjointed choreography of gunpowder" is eventually unleashed in the film, "upon which narrative and editing failures are accentuated".^[13]

Carmen L. Lobo of La Razón gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing that it is "a wild film with some stereotypes and script weaknesses thrown in but it keeps you gripped throughout".^[14]