A bleak zombie comedy won’t be for everybody, but does it have the brains to entertain?
Days into mourning his dead girlfriend Beth, Zach finds her still alive but slightly transformed. Has she been resurrected like Jesus or is she a zombie? And more importantly can they continue where they left off?
So it seems a zombie epidemic is sweeping Hollywood productions on shows like The Walking Dead and various films like World War Z. Warm Bodies released last year took a humane approach to zombies but failed to ignite box office figures so it’s interesting that another film of a similar vein would be released the following year. Life After Beth stars Dane DeHaan, who is already an accredited actor with works such as Chronicle and The Place Beyond the Pines in his back catalogue. He brings an emotional balance and believability to a simplistic character, and without it the film would become a one trick zombie. Having said that his characters bleak outlook and desperation towards the end is hard to emphasise with, especially with such farcical events happening all around him.
For all the proven comedy gold Aubrey Plaza has to offer, her title role of a confused young woman limits her abilities to control comedy moments; its obvious she’s a device more than a character here, mainly acting sexually frustrated, confused or enraged at any one point. But she does use sparse one-liners such as growling in a typical zombie voice at how lovely lavender smells, or commenting on the effects of Smooth Jazz to excellent effect. She hasn’t hit the heights of Parks and Recreation co-star Chris Pratt yet, but it’s clear even with this restricted role that she’s well on her way.
This comes across as a film so desperately wanting cult status. DeHaan sits at the side of a swimming pool wearing big eighties sunglasses, the parenting choices of a zombie are supposed to be highly amusing and Plaza with an oven chained to her back as she hikes into the desert is surely meant to be iconic. The film may have the visual flare of a cult classic but the content seems to be lacking.
Life After Beth walks a tightrope of comedy, romance and drama; but overall drama outweighs the unconvincing rest tenfold. This means the film is not hilarious but also can’t deliver on characters with any real depth. Jeff Baena has created a great first effort as both writer and director and with more focus he could surely make something cult worthy.
Matt – Cardiff store
