5. Warm Bodies
The twist: (Dead) boy meets girl! Little-seen
Zombie Love Story (2008) may have been the first to fly the flag for undying undead love but
Warm Bodies, released next month, adds a further, crucial, twist. Based on Isaac Marion's novel, it's about a boy (Nicholas Hoult- see what I did there?) known as R, who falls in love with a girl called Julie (Teresa Palmer). Those names may grate a little, but it's worth noting that R only develops feelings for Julie after eating her boyfriend's brains. Yup, he's a zombie. The 12A certificate may present a few challenges (see above) but surely the teenage audience is accustomed to a supernatural love triangle by now? Besides, this one's
intentionally funny; not least in toying with convention. R is barely able to speak yet is perfectly articulate when providing a voiceover. Our introduction to R seems unlikely to win him any sympathy but with Julie's affection, he becomes increasingly more human- as though slowly thawing out. It's essentially 'My Fair Lady' with a body count. Bet Seth Grahame-Smith's kicking himself.