10 Genius Ways Zombie Movies Broke All The Rules
5. Slow Burn Zombie Romcom - Life After Beth
The zombie romantic comedy (ZomRomCom?) did not start with 2014's Life After Beth.
Take someting like Warm Bodies, a zombie take on Romeo and Juliet. That was released the year before, and even that was based on a book from 2010.
What sets this movie out from the rest is that the eponymous Beth, played by Aubrey Plaza, doesn't begin the film as a dilapidated flesh creature.
Instead, Beth is in a relationship with Zach (Dane DeHaan), though not for long, as she dies after getting bitten by a snake whilst on a hiking trip. Zach is understandably upset, but that changes when his beloved returns from the dead, seemingly alive and well.
Seemingly...
Over the course of the movie, Beth deteriorates, leading her beau to make a heart-wrenching decision; does he attempt to weather the storm, or let her decomposing darling go?
With a stellar supporting cast including John C. Reilly, Cheryl Hines, and Anna Kendrick, Life After Beth is a fun spin on an already innovative genre. As well as all the absurdities that come with watching a man date a zombie, there's genuine emotion at the core of what could have just been a simple silly movie.