Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Alex Cox's 'Dead Souls': A Surreal Spaghetti Western Satire

2/2/2026

43 3

Summary

Story summary

Alex Cox presents his final film, "Dead Souls," set in the American West and inspired by Nikolai Gogol's novella.
Cox stars as Strindler, who offers to buy the souls of dead Mexicans to help landowners reduce taxes.
The film blends an indie aesthetic with bizarre characters and surreal elements, serving as a tribute to spaghetti Westerns and a satire of Trump-era politics.

1 of 1

Story summary

Alex Cox presents his final film, "Dead Souls," set in the American West and inspired by Nikolai Gogol's novella.
Cox stars as Strindler, who offers to buy the souls of dead Mexicans to help landowners reduce taxes.
The film blends an indie aesthetic with bizarre characters and surreal elements, serving as a tribute to spaghetti Westerns and a satire of Trump-era politics.