 | Watch Life After Beth (2014) online Run time: 91 min Rating: 6.0 Genres: Comedy | Horror | Romance Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly |
| Storyline A young man's recently deceased girlfriend mysteriously returns from the dead, but he slowly realizes she is not the way he remembered her. | |
| Plot Keywords: zombie, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, character name in title | |
| Details: | |
| Box Office Budget: $2,400,000 (estimated) Opening Weekend: $15,843 (USA) (15 August 2014) Gross: $34,400 (USA) (22 August 2014) | |
First time director Jeff Baena has made a film so dull and unwatchable by the end of the movie where the usual end credit scene he can't even fill a whole 90 minute movie he has to put DVD commentary at the end. That is how you know how much he tried to drag a film to get a full 90 minute movie. Last years Warm Bodies was dull and uninteresting but this takes it to the dumpster. It is the most dreadful film to sit through I have seen this year. Boring unfunny and situations that are meant to be either funny or life threatening where director Edgar Wright did with something right like Shaun of the Dead and everything that film succeed in this fails on all levels. The first fifth-teen minutes of the film was OK but totally after that the film falls harder than the time John C. Reilly gets drunk in almost all his movies.
ReplyDeleteThe real problem is having faith in Park & Recs big star Aubrey Plaza still can't find a vehicle to take her to big movie stardom. Unlike Chris Pratt you is Star-Lord. But never the less this is one film where the actual danger is less worrying than to excited about. And she does nothing for the screenplay to move along it is really as dead as the zombies. All the actors are really trying there best to stay awake and bring some joy charm anything to bring life in this awful film. Just a waste of good actors giving nothing else to do except give awful lines that don't mean anything to solve a story or provide any comical death or even the worst it is just a bore.
As for the zombie aspect is the worst because they like smooth Jazz and attics. It just doesn't work like Warm Bodies. Zombies are for no other reasons for them to eat people and for humans to kill them in horrific ways but you never get that in this film. To me good zombie movies are exactly that and this is one that does not provide anything useful or even funny new or what it is trying to accomplish a spark or romance between the two main characters and it is terrible.
I really wanted to like it but prepare yourself for one dull comedy, thrill less horror film, and worst and romcom that fails on all level. Also last the tone is all over the place there is supposed to be actual threat for these people going through the zombie apocalypse that is incredibly uninteresting.
Just as it appears that cinema and television are determined to exhaust us with zombie everything, bam, we get another one thrown at us, but thankfully, this time from the subgenre they call "ZomRomCom", in which not many examples exist yet.. Now, I honestly don't understand why last year's Warm Bodies is deemed "better" while this is constantly bashed since -contrary to what most viewers on here think and what I expected- I found this one to be a lot funnier and more entertaining from beginning to end. It offered quite a few hilarious, lol-worthy scenes and managed to keep me wondering what's going to happen next, and that's good enough for me to like and enjoy a movie. I have to admit, in the beginning, I wanted to watch it mostly because of Dane DeHaan since he is one of my favourite actors of the younger generation, but, with the delightful contributions of John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon, this turned out to be an overall enjoyable movie experience in the end. I think this is the first time I paid proper attention to Aubrey Plaza since I've never watched her on Parks and Recreation, and I absolutely loved her performance as the beloved daughter and girlfriend who comes back from the dead. I wouldn't exactly say it is worth getting out of your way to see it but I would recommend it for young adults for a movie night out with friends, or even better, in, if they can get their hands on a nice copy :).
ReplyDeleteLife After Beth is not your typical romance movie nor it is your typical zombie movie, because in this film there is no build up to the relationship, nor there is a reason for the resurrection. It is caught up between both ideas and executed into this Gothic dark comedy that works and is actually really funny despite some of its flaws. The actors did a phenomenal job in portraying those irritated characters, Aubrey Plaza (The To Do List) is great as always, not to forget she is one of the better newcomers, Dane DeHaan is also great in this film, all the cast fits the film like a glove. Anna Kendrick has a small role in the film also. The screenplay is excellent, it is the perfect mash of creepy and funny, and the directing was also very good. Life After Beth has some flaws that aren't really that worth of a mention, but it proves when old school ideas have the perfect screenplay, direction and style, they come off as fresh and enjoyable to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe exhausted zombie subgenre gets a much needed fresh take with this tiny budgeted horror comedy. A zombie epidemic is strictly background material and it begins with Zach played by Dane DeHaan, who does a good job here, grieving over the death of his girlfriend Beth. He bonds with her parents, played by John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon, who make the most of their underwritten parts. It's not before long that Beth returns and she and Zach continue their relationship - which is obviously headed for disaster. Aubrey Plaza does good work with her usual deadpan line readings and there's some hilarious scenes with her spastic rage and violence. Life After Beth is a small, lightweight film, the side characters can occasionally fall into sitcom-ish territory, but it does have some genuine big laughs.
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